


A Fall Greater Than He Ever Knew

by Sportscandycollective



Series: Fall Greater Than He Ever Knew AU [2]
Category: LazyTown
Genre: Backstory, Based on a Tumblr Post, Betrayal, Deception, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Injury, M/M, Potential part of longer story, Redemption, close call on death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-21
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-09-10 23:23:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8943562
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sportscandycollective/pseuds/Sportscandycollective
Summary: Based on artwork by RobbieRottensArt on Tumblr: https://robbierottensart.tumblr.com/post/153967702275/last-resort-to-get-sportacus-the-heck-outta
When Robbie's status as a villain is put on the line, he must do something he never imagined: befriend Sportacus. But how far is he willing to go to earn the elf's trust? And in the end, can he even go through with his mission?
NOTICE: PLEASE DO NOT REPOST MY WORK ONTO OTHER WEBSITES.





	1. An Object in Motion

Robbie slumps back into his recliner, an ice pack pressed into his chest. He groans at the icy chill applied to the ever-appearing bruise on his chest. It had seemed like an infallible plan. Yet another attempt to get the blue elf out of LazyTown, but this one involved two things that didn’t fail him often: sugar apples and robotic contraptions. It was simple: make Sportakook eat one of the apples, placing it right on top of a basket full of them that Pinkie had brought, then launch him out of town with his robotic catapult. It all was going so well…at least until one of the kids managed to delay his catapult (with, of all things, taffy. That sugar buzzed brat always got in the way.), handed Sportacus a real apple, and he went flipping away to safety. All Robbie had gotten in return was the annoyance of cleaning off the taffy, realizing Sportaloon wasn’t even on the catapult, and before he could even make chase the contraption went off and HE was launched off into the distance. Blessedly he had landed in a soft field and not, say, the local dump, but all he had to show for his efforts was a giant bruise where one of the moving parts had struck him, Sportacus still in LazyTown, and a catapult to add to his ever-growing pile of failed schemes.

“What am I doing wrong?? I have everything going for me!” he complained, his head turning to look at his discarded machines. “I come up with the greatest, most ingenious, most infallible plots.” His head flips to look at the multiple disguise tubes near his periscope. “I use the sneakiest disguises.”  He pauses. “As for myself?!” he states. But his expression clears and he grins pompously. “Well, there’s no problem here, I’m still as clever and devious as usual.” He says, dusting his shoulder. “SO, WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?!” he yells frustratedly, hands gesturing wildly and leaning forward in his chair, resulting in him flinching and groaning from his sore chest. He slowly leans back into his recliner. “I just can’t ever win.” He whines self-pityingly. He reaches for the remote on the nearby table, the TV dropping down from the ceiling. “Such a long day of villainy calls for some relaxation.” He says to himself, reclining his chair back more, sighing as his body loosens up. Some generic sitcom is on TV, one of those “two roommates make it in the big city” sort of shows. Robbie watches it, mindlessly eating from a bowl of popcorn, slowly forgetting the awful result of today’s scheme for laziness.

The picture fizzes for a second, static replacing the usual image. A few seconds later the picture is static again. Robbie frowns, glaring at the remote control, trying to adjust the picture. It only makes the static worse. “Come on you piece of junk,” he mutters, hitting the side of the remote. The static continues, the droning noise filling the room. Robbie groans exasperatedly. “Of course! Can this day get any worse??” he says to himself loudly.

“It can, and will Mr. Rotten.” A voice suddenly booms from the TV. Robbie screams, tumbling backwards off his recliner, popcorn exploding all over the place. He cautiously climbs to his feet, flinching again at the painful reminder of that day’s events. He peers over his toppled chair, glancing at the TV. The static was replaced by a still picture of a darkly lit conference room. Sitting in the middle of the frame was a silhouetted figure, his hands folded neatly in front of him. “Good evening Mr. Rotten, I presume we have called you at a convenient time?” the figure asked.

Robbie looked suspiciously at the screen. “Who are you and what do you want?” he asked grumpily. “Who I am is not important Mr. Rotten. What is important is that I represent the League of Villains, global division. And your recent performance is the reason for us contacting you.” Robbie shifted uncomfortably, standing up and gesturing to himself. “My performance?” he asked innocently. The figure nodded. “We at the L.O.V. keep close tabs on the activities of the world’s villains. Calculating statistical models, keeping track of their successes in their individual missions. We work to ensure members within our ranks perform at the utmost of their abilities, and produce the greatest margin of success.” Robbie already was droning out this figure in his head. “I don’t remember signing up for any League of Villains.” He stated.

“All villains are automatically registered in our database, and thus you are no exception.” The figure answered back. “And quite simply Mr. Rotten, you aren’t just under performing. Your current portfolio is a complete disaster.”

Robbie glared at the figure. “EXCUSE me.” He said offendedly. “Who are YOU to say that? I will let you know that I’ve had my fair share of successes in the past.” Robbie’s expression, for a split second, went blank as he thought through his past attempts and realized that, really, he hadn’t had that many successes. Still, too late to back pedal. “Nonetheless, I AM the villain number one! So, there.” He said proudly.

The figure was unamused. “Regardless of your own congratulatory nature, the facts still stand.” He shifted through a manila folder, pulling a few choice pieces of paper out. “Robbie Rotten, place of residence: LazyTown. Mission: Enforce the current agenda of slothfulness in LazyTown. Amended to add, “get rid of that blue elf”.” He read aloud. “Our field reports state that not only have you not succeeded in ridding the town of the “blue elf”, but that the town’s laziness quota has decreased exponentially over the last few years.” The silhouette slapped the papers back onto the table. “Quite simply Mr. Rotten, you have been failing for quite some time and we at the L.O.V. cannot accept your performance. We will be blunt, Mr. Rotten. Your failures are an embarrassment to villains worldwide. Unless you turn around this pattern of disasters, we will be forced to revoke your status as a villain and take care of the LazyTown situation ourselves.” He said flatly.

Robbie’s face paled. “Y-You can’t just do that! I am a real villain!” He fished among a pile of papers frantically, pulling out an old magazine. “I’m still ranked the 10th greatest villain in the world! You can’t punish someone who clearly is not failing!” he said assuredly.

The figure sighed. “We wish to give you the benefit of the doubt that you don’t seriously take those heavily slanted, not credible magazine polls seriously Mr. Rotten.” Robbie shrunk back, the magazine falling to the floor. “We are giving you this chance at redemption. We will check back with you within the next few months. If you manage to increase the laziness quota of LazyTown by then, even just back to the standards pre-amendment to your mission, we will restore your villain status to “good standing” and leave you be. If not, however, we will enforce your revocation.”

Robbie’s expression brightened for a second, but fell again. “It’s a simple enough task, but that Sportacus keeps complicating things!” he said annoyedly, tapping his face.

“If you want our advice Mr. Rotten, and trust us you need it,” Said the Figure, with Robbie frowning offendedly at the remark. “we’ve found that other members have great success in ridding their nemeses through the simple act of deception.” Robbie perked up. “Like a disguise then?” he asked. The figure shook his head. “Simpler. All you need to do is get him to trust you. Like you. And once you’ve got him off his guard, then you get rid of him. Simple as that, he won’t even recognize what’s happening until it’s too late.”

The silhouette shifted back into his seat. “We await your success Mr. Rotten.” The screen went dark.

Robbie frowned and made a face at the TV. “Get Sportacus to trust me? Like befriend him??” he pondered. He paced around his lair. “As if a villain like myself would stoop to befriending that,” Robbie flailed his arms and legs, imitating the hero’s signature moves, tweaking his back and irritating his bruised chest simultaneously. He groaned from the pain. “hyper blue Sportakook!” he said mockingly. He sat on the floor, considering his options. It couldn’t be that hard, could it? After all, no matter how devious or damaging his plans were in the past, Sportacus never seemed to hate Robbie. Actually, on multiple occasions, he even offered to be Robbie’s friend. It wouldn’t take that much convincing, would it? However, there was still that point: he’d have to declare that flippity-flopping sports nut his friend, even if his motive was dishonest. He’d have to put up with the brats’ antics and excessive exercising for months, not really able to plan any schemes to cease their activity, in order to win Sportacus’ friendship. He may even have to put off his own inherent laziness, just to “bond” with Sportaloon long enough to earn his trust. Would it work? Would it be worth it?

Robbie sighed, his mind empty of any feasible alternatives. “Certainly less complicated than my other plans.” He admitted to himself begrudgingly. He caved. “What have I got to lose?” he asked himself. First though, he set himself off to bed. It had been a long day and, if he truly were to try to befriend Sportacus, he’d need all the rest he could get.


	2. The Dynamic of Friendship and Oranges

Getting up at the crack of two in the afternoon, Robbie slunk out of his lair and made his way to the town’s park. He hung close to the retainer wall, popping his head up like a scared meerkat every few steps. No signs of the blue elf, at least not yet. But the years of observation and sneaking had told Robbie that if the kids were out, he usually wasn’t too far away. Much to his surprise, however, the sports field was empty.   
“Of course, the one day I need to see Sportakook he’s nowhere to be found.” He muttered to himself. He sat back against the wall, wondering and thinking where they possibly would be today. Some minutes later, his questioning was answered. Around the corner his ears picked up the grating sound of the brat brigade laughing and chattering with each other. They were walking towards the sports field, carrying duffel bags and dressed in swim wear. Hot day in the middle of summer? Of course, they’d be at the beach. Robbie kicked himself for not thinking of that.

“Guys! Hey guys, wait up!” said the sugar-buzzed one. Ziggy, if he got it right. He was lagging behind, dropping a trail of candies behind him. Robbie in that moment realized he’d probably want to use the kids’ actual names, if he wanted any chance of earning Sportacus’ friendship. Stinky, or wait no, Stingy was holding one of the duffels away from the pigtailed girl…Trixie, right?   
“Stingy give it back! That’s my bag!” she said annoyedly.   
“No it’s not, it’s most definitely MINE.” He said, holding the bag away from Trixie. Pink…Stephanie simply laughed and walked up to Stingy.   
“Stingy, come on. Just give Trixie her bag back. You know it’s not yours.” She said. It was clear that Stingy wasn’t wanting to, but he eventually “lent” Trixie’s bag back to her. Pood-Pixel was chattering on about some “sports data” he had collected from their volleyball game.

“Come on everyone! Let’s go get some lunch!” Stephanie said happily. The kids cheered and made their way to Mayor Meanswell’s house. She turned around and looked towards the corner. “Sportacus, are you coming?” she asked.   
“Be right there!” he said. And finally, who Robbie was looking for appeared. Sportacus was briskly rounding the corner, carrying an improbably large number of things on his shoulders. It was probably the reason that, for the first time that Robbie could remember, he wasn’t doing an unnecessary number of flips to get everywhere. He wasn’t sure if he should photograph this moment for posterity. Sportacus caught up and carefully placed the junk he carried down in the lawn, shooting a smile at Stephanie.   
“Thanks for coming to the beach with us!” she said.  
Sportacus nodded and smiled. “Of course! It’s always fun spending a day at the beach with friends!” he said cheerily.   
Stephanie gestured towards the door. “You can come in for lunch if you like!”   
“Sure! Just let me put away this stuff.” Sportacus said, doing his signature move and flipping over to the pile of beach supplies.

As Stephanie ran inside, Robbie saw the perfect opportunity. He had to draw his eyes away from watching Sportacus flip around the beach stuff. Bessie must’ve joined them at some point, only way to explain the pile. He braced himself, taking a second to smooth a bit of his hair, breathe easy, and straighten his waistcoat. He strode over, his awkwardness as apparent as he feared, his movement near stiff-legged. He paused, just a foot away from the hero. It was like a large dog was tugging him in the other direction, he didn’t want to go on. He was about the walk away, perhaps try again another day, when Sportacus turned around.   
“Hi Robbie!” he said happily.   
Robbie froze. “Sportakook!” he finally mustered enough to say. “Er, I mean Sportacus! What a…pleasant surprise?” he said. Sportacus didn’t seem to be bothered by the first awkward beginning and laughed.   
“What brings you around here?” he asked.

“W-What brings me here?” Robbie parrots back, feeling his mind go blank. He shifts awkwardly. “Well, you see…uhh, I was wondering if I could…” Robbie started. Sportacus was listening intently. “…You know...” he said, the rest of the sentence devolving into a mumble.   
“What?” Sportacus asked, confused.   
“Can I…” Robbie asked again, once again mumbling the last part.   
“I can’t understand you.” Sportacus said, leaning in closer.  
“You know! With you and the kids!” Robbie said frustratedly, gesturing towards the door and Sportacus.   
Sportacus thought for a minute. “You want to have lunch with us?” he asked.

“YES!” Robbie answered exasperatedly. He quickly cleared his throat and stood up straight. “I mean, yes. I, Robbie Rotten, would like to have lunch…with you.” He said, mustering as much assuredness as he could.   
Sportacus smiled. “Why didn’t you just say so Robbie? You’re always welcome to spend time with us!” Sportacus bounded over to the door, opening it and ushering Robbie inside.

The kids were gathered around the island in the kitchen, assembling bowls of fruit and multiple sandwiches, chattering happily about their days and suggesting different fruits and vegetables to add. The group turned and excitedly greeted Sportacus, their excitement dropping substantially after seeing Robbie follow in after Sportacus.   
“Robbie? What are you doing here?” Stephanie asked.   
Ziggy frowned. “Are you going to ruin our lunch??” he asked.   
Sportacus shook his head disapprovingly. “Come on kids, Robbie asked me if he could join our lunch. I’m sure he wouldn’t do anything bad, would you Robbie?” he asked. Robbie shook his head. “No! Wouldn’t dream of it!” he said quickly. Nervousness creeped into him, these kids could sink his first attempt of getting closer to Sportacus. Sportacus smiled and patted Robbie on the back. Despite the pat being not that hard, it still took Robbie by surprise and he flinched. “See? So let’s not jump to conclusions. We have lunch to enjoy!”

The kids paused, then finally nodded and resumed setting the table for lunch. Stephanie still looked suspiciously at Robbie, but eventually turned away to help the others. Robbie breathed a sigh of relief, first disaster averted. The kids sat around the table, handing each other pieces of fruit and sandwich fixings. Robbie sat next to Sportacus, pausing when he was handed an orange.   
“Um, no thanks.” He said as politely as he could, visibly repulsed by the citrus.   
Sportacus looked disappointed. “Fruit is great for energy Robbie! I bet you’d like it if you’d try it.” He said encouragingly.  
Robbie debated his options for a moment, then reluctantly accepted the orange. He looked around the table, seeing the kids enjoy their disgustingly healthy lunches. “ _Not a sweet or can of soda to be found. This is going to be rough_.” He thought to himself. He gripped the orange tightly, fumbling around with the round fruit. How the heck do you open this thing? He sunk his teeth into the skin of the orange, frowning at the bitter taste.

Sportacus had been watching Robbie fumble with the fruit the whole time. It was funny, yet also a little concerning that he didn’t even know how to eat an orange. He placed a hand on Robbie’s shoulder.   
“Robbie.” He said quietly. Robbie immediately stopped, his canine still sunk into the fruit’s skin.   
Sportacus put a hand on the orange, guiding it away from Robbie’s mouth. Robbie would be lying if he said he didn’t feel a strange twinge in his heart from the gesture. With his nail, Sportacus dug a little into the skin, peeling away the outside.   
“Like this, see?” he asked gently. The kids watched this all unfold, snickering to themselves. Sportacus shot them a look, not a terribly angry look, more like a disappointed parent look. “Kids, let’s be nice.” He said calmly.   
The kids nodded and stifled their giggles. Robbie made quick work of the peel.   
“Yes, I um, knew that just fine. Didn’t need to help me at all.” He said quickly, discarding the peel. He tore off a slice and tentatively took a bite. He gagged at the taste, its taste being sweet, but not in the sweet taste that he’s used to. He bit more into the slice, well bite was a generous word to be used. He more tore it ever so slightly, taking near microscopic pieces each time.   
“At this point the orange will decompose before he eats it.” Stingy muttered to Trixie, who repressed a laugh in reply.

Robbie finally finished his first slice, holding himself back from chucking the orange out the window. “Mmm! That was, errr, delicious! Hmm so delicious I think I’ll save it for later.” He said a bit too loudly.   
Stephanie pushed away her plate. “Now that lunch is over, who’s ready for a game of basketball?” she asked cheerily. The kids happily replied, charging towards the door. Sportacus followed after them, noticing that Robbie wasn’t coming along.   
“You coming?” he asked.   
Robbie felt the apprehension again. “Y-Yeah! Be right there!” he said, drumming his fingers against his bottom lip. Hadn’t he done enough by actually consuming that yucky fruit? Now he has to exercise? He could feel himself grow tired just from the thought. Perhaps it was time to quit for the day?

Sportacus must’ve noticed Robbie’s apprehension, as he walked over and placed a hand on the back of Robbie’s chair.   
“It’s okay Robbie. I know you may be nervous, but trust me, it’s a lot of fun! And I can help you learn. It’s not a hard game. Will you try it?” he said reassuringly.   
Robbie took a deep breath. As easy as it would be to quit that moment, head home, think of a plan more along his usual style, for whatever reason he felt compelled to try. Gosh darn it, he’d gotten this far, and his mission once again blared in his mind: get the elf to like you, he’ll leave, you can forget about all this and be lazy again.   
“Alright,” he sighed, looking up at Sportacus. “I guess I could give it a try.”

Sportacus smiled, stepping back as Robbie got up from the chair. “Fantastic! Come on then, the kids are waiting!” he cheerily said. With a few flips he was by and out the door. Robbie followed him more slowly, this would indeed be a long day.


	3. Nothing to Lose (Except in Basketball)

The kids had already gathered at the sports field, a couple of basketballs sitting against the retaining wall. Three of them were watching as Stephanie and Trixie squared up, Trixie playing defense. They cheered as Stephanie dribbled the ball back forth, eyes locked on her as Trixie shuffle-stepped to block Stephanie’s aim. Sportacus and Robbie stopped to watch.   
“Come on Pinky, you can’t get past me! I’m the best defense in Lazytown!” Trixie bragged, arms outstretched, her feet matched perfectly to Stephanie’s rhythm.   
“Go Stephanie!” Ziggy cheered. Finally, an opening. Robbie watched, secretly impressed, as Stephanie darted past Trixie, who charged after her. Stephanie swung around the lines before making a trickshot behind her, tossing the ball cleanly through the net. Point. The kids cheered, Trixie panted behind her, disappointed but also happy.   
“Good one Stephanie!” Trixie grinned. The two gave each other a quick hug before reuniting with the rest of the kids.

Robbie stepped back. “I don’t know Sportaflop, this might be too much intensity for me. How about cards?” He pulled a messily piled stack of cards from a pocket, a few spilling to the ground. “Those are just as fun, right?”   
Sportacus chuckled and shook his head. “Come on Robbie, give this a chance. You may just have more fun than you think.” He said, patting Robbie on the back. Robbie frowned as Sportacus flipped over the wall to join the kids. Begrudgingly he joined them. “Alright everyone, what game are we playing today?” Sportacus asked cheerily.   
Robbie looked confused. “I thought we were playing basketball. Hence the basketballs.”   
Stephanie laughs. “There’s tons of ways to play basketball Robbie. How about something simple? We’ll play a game of Twenty-One!” she suggested. The kids cheered.   
“What?” Robbie asked.   
“It’s really simple Robbie.” Pixel piped up. He pulled out one of his many gadgets, pressed a few buttons, and the image of a basketball court appeared on the screen. “All you have to do is score twenty-one points. First one to get twenty-one wins!” he explained.   
Robbie stood a little taller. “Sounds easy enough!” he proudly stated. “I could win this with my eyes closed.”

The kids played a quick game of Rochambeau, with Pixel winning the first shot. He throws the ball from half court, the ball bouncing loudly off the rim. The game had begun. Robbie was nearly toppled in the ensuing scramble to get the ball first. Once he regained his bearings, he charged in the general direction of the ball. Trixie had gotten the ball first, but quickly lost it to Stingy with a loud “It’s MINE!” Stingy carried the ball in the opposite direction.   
“Stingy! You have to dribble it! You can’t just carry it across the court!” Trixie yelled. Stingy had run almost to the other hoop, dropping the ball to dribble it.   
“Haha, it’s mine.” He said breathlessly. He felt a tap on his shoulder. “Huh?” he puzzled. He turned to see nothing, then felt the ball leave his hold. “Hey!” Stingy cried out. 

Robbie had gotten the ball and was dribbling it back towards the hoop. He turned to face Stingy. “Try and get the ball now Stinky!” he taunted.   
Stingy looked offended. “That’s STINGY!” he corrected. 

“Whatever!” Robbie laughed. He turned back and gasped at seeing he no longer had the ball. Ziggy had swiped it right under his nose! Ziggy ran towards the hoop, Sportacus playing defense, trying to get the ball from Ziggy. However, Robbie could tell that he wasn’t really trying to get the ball from Ziggy. As a matter of fact, he was barely trying to begin with. He felt sort of flabbergasted as Ziggy easily dodged past Sportacus and scored the first two points of the game.

The game continued along this pattern. Robbie would get close to scoring a point but the ball would be swept from under him by one of the kids, and he began to trail miserably behind. By their first break for water, Robbie was dead last in points. He had gotten close earlier, but then got called for a foul for goaltending.

“ _This game has too many rules._ ” He thought to himself. He sat back against the wall, his water bottle sitting untouched next to him. “ _This is so stupid, who could possibly enjoy a game like this?_ ” He looked over to the kids congregating by the scoreboard. “ _Oh yeah, people like them. Why am I doing this again?_ ”   
Sportacus jogged on over to Robbie, joining him in sitting against the wall. “Having fun Robbie?” he asked.   
“ _No_.” Robbie thought. “This game has too many rules! Everything is illegal! I bet they’d make being too tall illegal if they could.” Robbie complained. Sportacus laughed, making Robbie feel a little elation in his chest. Or maybe it was leftover dull pain from the other day, he couldn’t tell at this point.   
“I know it seems complicated, but most things are difficult at first!” Sportacus said supportively. He bent down and handed Robbie the water bottle. “Make sure you drink plenty of water. You’re going to need it.” He said, before flipping over to the kids to check the scoreboard. Robbie looked down at the water bottle, pulling the pop-top and taking a large swig. He couldn’t remember the last time he had drunk water. The sound of Stephanie’s whistle signaled the resuming of the game.

The second half went much like the first, but Robbie felt a bit more assured of himself this time around. He had multiple close calls, but scored no points yet. Finally, somehow, he had the ball to himself. Ziggy and Stingy had him cornered on both sides, both ready to pounce as soon as he let his guard down.   
“Come on Robbie! Shoot!” Stephanie yelled. Robbie nervously dribbled. The hoop seemed so far away.   
“Yeah, come on Robbie! Move it or lose it!” Trixie shouted. Robbie frowned at her, shuffle-stepping side to side, hoping to throw off the two defenses.   
  
From down court, Sportacus cheered. “You’ve got this Robbie! You can do this!”   
  
Robbie steeled himself. With a yell more indicative of a war cry, Robbie charged past Ziggy and Stingy. He could feel his tired legs tripping over each other, and in a last-ditch effort before he ate concrete, he chucked the ball in the general direction of the hoop. He flopped to the ground, lifting his head in time to see the ball circle the hoop. The kids watched with baited breath as the ball kept circling. Finally, it dropped in.“YES! I AM THE BEST!” Robbie cheered. He got to his feet and walked his victory lap, blowing kisses to the roaring crowds inside his head. “Thank you! Thank you! I never could’ve done this without the support of my fam…”

“Game point! Stephanie wins!”

In the midst of Robbie’s self-congratulation, he had completely forgotten that the game was still going. Just long enough for Pinky to earn the winning points, leaving Robbie with the only two points he earned the whole game.   
“What?” he asked in a deflated manner.   
Pixel walked past him. “Yup! Game’s over!” he said.   
“H-How did I do?” Robbie stuttered.   
Pixel pulled up the statistics on his device. “Well let’s see, you earned a total of two points. Which places you at…last place.” Pixel concluded.   
Robbie looked defeated. “Last place? I got last place?” he asked quietly. His disappointment turned quickly to discontent. “Well, it doesn’t matter! This game was stupid! Who’d want to win at such a stupid game?!” he asked grinchily.   
The kids just shrugged and rolled their eyes. “Come on guys, it’s dinner time.” Trixie said. The kids all waved goodbye to each other, with one of them even imparting a “goodnight Robbie” before they left. Soon it was only Robbie and Sportacus left in the basketball court, with Robbie still stewing.

“Hey, thanks for playing with us Robbie. I hope you had fun, regardless of how you feel you did.” Sportacus said.   
Robbie huffed and looked away. “Don’t patronize me Sportakook, I don’t need your reassuring. Just tell me I did awful and leave it at that.” He growled. Robbie glanced at Sportacus, seeing him look a little hurt. His inner voice knocked him upside the brain, reminding him of his overall goal. “But I, uh, appreciate the thought.” He added on.   
  
Sportacus gave him a small smile and a nod before turning away. He stopped right before he climbed up the ladder, clinging to a rung, and turned to look once more at Robbie. “For what it’s worth Robbie, I’m just glad that you came out to play with us today. And I’m proud that you tried so many new things. Do you think you’ll join us again tomorrow?” he asked.   
Robbie sighed and gave Sportacus a slight smile. “As long as it’s at a decent hour for once.” He said in a joking tone.   
Sportacus chuckled. “Alright, sounds good. Goodnight Robbie.” Robbie waved him off in response, and Sportacus clambered up his ladder.

Robbie walked back towards his lair, his legs sore and aching from that day’s activities. He hadn’t exercised in, well, ever. He knew he would be in pain tomorrow. Still, he felt he’d made good progress. He stopped and turned to look as he heard the engines of Sportacus’s airship whir and the ship zipping high into the sky. He felt himself staring a little longer than he expected, his mind going blank. He felt a strange feeling down deep in his body, a sort of fuzzy feeling. What could it be?   
“Probably just that orange.” He mumbled to himself, as he limped on back home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aka the chapter where my lacking knowledge about basketball is painfully apparent.
> 
> Hope that you all enjoy this chapter! (despite the shoddy basketball information haha). Thank you to all who left such nice comments on the last two chapters! It gives me such joy to know so many people enjoy this story so far, and I hope you all continue to enjoy the coming installments!


	4. Trail of Paper

This pattern continued for the next few weeks. Robbie would haul himself out of his lair each day, feeling varying degrees of weariness and soreness from the constant physical activity, and put on his most (hopefully) cheery smile to greet the kids and Sportacus each morning. Each day there’d be some new physical activity to partake in, some new healthy food to grin and bear eating, and some other song to sing. And each day, Robbie would come home exhausted, falling asleep earlier than he ever had in his life. Suddenly Robbie somewhat understood the absurdly early bedtime Sportacus clung to. Maybe not to the same degree (“falling asleep earlier” simply translated to going to bed around 11 pm rather than tossing and turning all night and eventually passing out around 4 am), but he still was getting much more sleep. The others would probably attribute it to Robbie’s increase in physical activity and better eating habits. But that thought only sickened Robbie so he instead decided to chalk it up to coincidence.

Still, he wasn’t liking how much his interactions with Sportacus and the kids were affecting his usual lifestyle. Not only was he going to bed much earlier than usual, but he found his interest in sugary sweets waning ever so slightly. Not that he didn’t like cake and popcorn and chips (he still adored them), but every now and then he would catch himself craving celery with peanut butter, or reaching for a banana when pawing around for snacks. And each time he’d catch himself, he’d growl in annoyance and pull back, trying to get ahold of himself.

“What am I doing?! I don’t eat vegetables! Or fruit!” he said to himself. He grabbed a plate with a large slice of cake, grinning as he admired the color of the spongey cake, sniffing the sweetness of the icing. “No, I only eat the yummiest, most delicious of food! Cake!” he said joyfully. He plopped down into his armchair, getting himself comfy, before grabbing a fork, ready to dig into the delectable confection. But he felt himself stopping again. He frowned in confusion. “That’s weird, I’m suddenly not in the mood for this.” He threw his hand up into the air, inadvertently sending his fork flying. “But I’m ALWAYS in the mood for cake!” he said, perplexed. At that moment, the fork he threw returned to Earth, choosing its landing spot right on Robbie’s noggin. He flinched, cursed, and felt the spot where the fork had speared him. He grunted in anger, then inspected the slice of cake. “Someone must’ve been tampering with my food!” he concluded. He shook his head. “Nah, that’s too stupid even for the people in this town.” He said. He put the cake aside and looked at the clock. It was past 10 am, he was late for his meeting with the kids. He sighed, put the plate of cake on the end table, and got up. Before he left, he stopped in front of the cake. “I’ll deal with you later.” He said angrily, pointing an accusing finger at the pastry. Then he strode up and out of his lair.

When Robbie got to the park, he saw the kids sitting in a little circle. “Good morning everyone!” he said in his most cheery tone. The kids stopped what they were doing and waved at him.

“Morning Robbie!” replied Stephanie.

Robbie clapped his hands together. “So! What’s the painful athletic activity on today’s agenda? Maybe some rugby? Or Frisbee? Or, I know! Maybe some good old fashioned field hockey!” he said in a sarcastic tone.

Trixie rolled her eyes. “Oh brother.” The other kids laughed.

Stephanie held up a small pile of colorful paper squares. “No worries Robbie! Today we’re making origami!”   
  
Robbie quirked an eyebrow up at this revelation. “Origami? That doesn’t sound very active.” He said quizzically.   
  
“It’s always good to move around, but sometimes it’s good to do stuff that exercises the mind too!” said Pixel, as he folded another corner on his green paper square. Robbie wasn’t quite sure how to process that, for once, they were not going to do some backbreaking, bruise causing exercise. For once, they were going to sit quietly and do crafts? Finally, something Robbie could get behind.

He plopped himself down between Ziggy and Stephanie. He recoiled slightly at seeing multiple half-finished paper figures glued to Ziggy’s lollipop. He’d just make sure to work further away from that one. Stephanie hands him a small piece of purple paper as she continues working on her origami. Robbie inspects it, his face screwing in response to what he sees. “What’s that Pinky? A chopstick rest?” he asks.

Stephanie shakes her head. “Just wait!” she says excitedly. A few more twists and folds, and Stephanie reveals her neatly folded paper heart. “See?”

Robbie’s eyebrows raise and he nods, impressed. “I see. Pretty cool…for a beginner.” He says with a sly smile.

Stephanie pretends to act insulted. “Well, let’s see what you can make!” she says, matching Robbie with her own sly smile.

Robbie sits up straight, not one to refuse a challenge. “Daring, now are we? Well just wait there, Pinky!” he said with a cocky grin. Out of all the kids, Stephanie was the one that had, at first, annoyed him the most. Over time, however, he found that she grew to be the most accepting and welcoming of the kids, and somehow knew exactly how to push his buttons to get him more involved with whatever activities they were doing. Robbie wasn’t sure if he hated or liked that about her, but no matter what he felt Sportacus seemed to favor her so you bet he’d work to get on her good side the hardest.

As Robbie continued to add creases and folds, unconsciously reaching for more paper, he observed what the other kids were making. Stingy had folded his paper into a dollar sign (of course), and was peering at the paper box Trixie was in the middle of making. Ziggy still was covered in half made paper folds, sticking to him by the syrup from his lollipop. Currently, however, he was working on a paper heart like Stephanie’s. Pixel was perfecting a paper airplane, one capable of having a payload and doing barrel rolls. It was also at that moment that Robbie realized that Sportacus was nowhere to be seen. His energy shrunk at the realization, his smile fading slightly. Wasn’t that elf usually bound at the hip to this town and the kids? Where could he be? He decided to chance it by asking the kids.“So, has anyone by any chance seen Sportaflop?” he asked.The kids gave him quizzical expressions. “Sportacus, I meant Sportacus.” He corrected himself.

“I don’t know, somedays he just hangs in his airship until someone gets in trouble.” Ziggy answered, his mouth half full of caramel. Robbie frowned. “Shame, he might enjoy this.” He said quietly, grabbing yet another piece of paper. Trixie and Stingy looked at each other with puzzled expressions, but eventually shrugged it off and returned to their paper folding.

A scream broke the silence and the kids turned to see Mayor Meanswell dangling from a tree. “Oh no! Uncle!” cried Stephanie.  
“Someone help me!” the Mayor yelled. Right on cue, Sportacus came flipping on down, landing firmly on the ground (Robbie wondered how his knees took those constant harsh landings).  
“Ball!” Sportacus called out. A tennis ball fell from his airship. Taking a rope he found on the ground, he tied it to the tennis ball and chucked it as hard as he could at the tree the Mayor was dangling from. The ball bounced back and forth between four different trees, weaving an intricate pattern.   
“I-I don’t think I can hold on much longer!” wailed the Mayor. Finally the branch broke. The mayor plummeted down, but was safely caught by the net that the bouncing tennis ball had nicely woven. The kids cheered and even Robbie found himself impressed by this feat. Sportacus helped the Mayor down from the net. “Oh thank you Sportacus!” he said cheerily.   
Sportacus gave him thumbs up. “You’re welcome Mayor, just be more careful next time!” “Oh, I will!” the Mayor reassured him. “ _No you won’t._ ” Robbie thought to himself.

Sportacus waved goodbye and began flipping back to his ship, but stopped right in front of the kids. “Hi Sportacus!” said Stephanie.   
“Hi Stephanie! Hi kids! Hi Robbie!” he said happily. He looked around at the mess of papers on the ground. “What do we have here?” he asked. Ziggy hopped to his feet energetically.

“We’re making cool paper things!” he grinned.   
“Origami.” Stingy added.  
“Right, that! A-Anyways, I made you this cool paper frog!” Ziggy said. He looked around, not seeing it. “Once I find it…” The kids laughed as they quickly spotted the crushed paper frog stuck to the back of Ziggy’s lollipop. Finally spotting it, Ziggy presented the sticky origami to Sportacus.   
“Thank you, Ziggy.” Said Sportacus. The kids each stood up, all showing off their creations.   
“We’ve been learning so much about this art, Sportacus! Would you like to try s-WOAH!” Stephanie said, stopping short upon seeing Robbie’s creation.   
Robbie froze. “What?? What did I do?” he asked frantically. Stephanie put down her paper heart and walked closer, admiring Robbie’s work.   
“How did you make that?!” she asked excitedly. Robbie was confused, until he looked down. He hadn’t really realized or processed what he was making, but finally saw that he made a complex, multi-piece, origami dragon, complete with wings. The kids clustered around, ooo-ing and ahh-ing and his creation.   
Sportacus looked impressed. “Wow, Robbie! You’re really talented! That’s so cool!” he said happily. Robbie himself seemed rather shocked at what he managed to create.

“Well uh…s-see I told you!” he said, mustering a bit more bravado. He looked straight at Stephanie. “Ready to eat your words, Pinky?”  
Stephanie didn’t seem to notice, she was too transfixed by Robbie’s little origami dragon. “Can you make more?” she asked innocently.   
The prideful face Robbie had was quickly replaced by a more surprised one. “Why not?” he finally answered. “Just need some more paper. Get me some with patterns this time!” The kids scrambled and dug through their piles of paper to find the most colorful, most pretty of the bunch.

For the next hour or so they sat there, watching intently as Robbie continued to fold and craft more and more creations. He made paper stag beetles, lions, unicorns, tarantulas, he even made an origami airship at one point. “Wow Robbie, I wish I could make origami like yours!” Ziggy gushed, playing around with a paper dolphin Robbie folded earlier. In an uncharacteristic moment, Robbie’s heart didn’t fill with boastful bravado, rather he felt truly touched. He adjusted his sitting position (he had been sitting in the same position for the whole hour) and picked up a square of bright red paper.   
  
“I don’t think I could teach you guys how to make these figures, but I could show you something just as cool.” He said with a smile. He folded the red paper multiple times, creating clear and strong creases. He brought the corners together, creating thin little triangles on the sides. A few more twists and creases later, he presented his finished creation to the kids.   
“What is it? Some sort of bird?” Stingy asked, clearly not as impressed as he was with the other paper creations.   
“Oh! It’s a paper crane!” said Trixie.   
Robbie nodded. “Yeah, exactly!” He held the crane out for the kids to see up close. Robbie thought for a minute. “I’m pretty sure there’s some superstition around these things.” He said, face still held in thought.   
“Oh right! I read something about that on the internet!” exclaimed Pixel. “They say that if you make one-thousand paper cranes, you will be granted good luck and a wish!”

Robbie nodded. “Yeah, that sounds about right.”   
“One thousand?? Man, but that’s so many!” Ziggy said disappointedly.   
Sportacus placed his hand on Ziggy’s shoulder. “Anything that’s worth getting often takes a lot of work Ziggy. And there’s no better time to start on something than the present!”   
Ziggy nodded. “Hey yeah! We should all make one-thousand cranes! That way we’ll have good luck!” The kids all agreed. Another hour passed, and soon the yard was filled with a collection of discarded paper crumples and a handful of successful paper cranes.   
“How many did you make Stingy?” Trixie asked tiredly, folding yet another one.   
“Hmm, about thirteen.” Stingy replied, just as tired.   
Ziggy put down the paper. “This is really slow! And I’m getting tired.”   
Sportacus, who had been hanging around, doing exercises as he watched, smiled and approached the kids. “It may be a good time for a break then! You can always continue tomorrow.” Everyone agreed. The kids collected their completed cranes, sweeping away the crumpled ones into a trash can. They all bid each other good night as they skipped back home.

Robbie stooped and collected his paper pieces. In that moment, he finally noticed that he had only gotten around to creating one paper crane. He was so busy trying to help the kids with theirs, he hadn’t even gotten a moment to make his. “ _Oh well. Always time for that later_.” He thought to himself. Besides, he was tired. It had been a long day. As he gathered the paper figures, he stopped a moment when he noticed Sportacus helping him collect his origami. Sportacus was holding the origami airship Robbie had created earlier, a twinkle in his eyes as he admired the little paper version of his home.   
“I never knew you had such skill in this.” He said quietly.   
Robbie smirked, a slight shade of pink appearing on his cheeks. “Well, I guess you could say I’m a villain of many surprises.” He said with a slight pompous tone.   
Sportacus responded by looking up and right into Robbie’s eyes, a gaze filled with warmth and joy. The pink on Robbie’s cheeks darkened to red. “I see that now.” Sportacus finally said.   
Robbie felt flustered, nearly fumbling and dropping the origami he had collected. He cleared his throat. “Uh, would you like to keep that?” he asked, pointing to the airship in Sportacus’s hands.   
Sportacus dropped his gaze to look at the airship. “I mean is that fine? I wouldn’t want to—“   
“Just take it.” Robbie said quickly. He turned and was about to walk away, but stopped. He turned back around and handed the one paper crane he finished to him. Sportacus seemed surprised. “There, 999 more to go. Have fun Sportadork.” Robbie said, trying not to make eye contact. He sped away afterwards, striding as quickly as possible. He was stopped, however, as he heard Sportacus say, “Goodnight Robbie.”

Robbie slowed. He didn’t turn around; he didn’t want Sportacus to see how red he was. “Goodnight…Sportacus.” He finally said. He couldn’t see it, but Sportacus gave him a slight smile. As Robbie walked away, he heard Sportacus call out “Ladder!” and soon afterwards the sound of the airship speeding away. Robbie's gaze nearly turned back to the airship, that fuzzy feeling popping up again. But shook his head, knocking at his skull. “Get yourself together Robbie, eyes on the goal.” He scolded himself. He hugged his origami tighter, trying to distract himself with the paper shapes, as he made his way home.


	5. Don't Leave the Rope Empty

Ever since Robbie revealed his talent with origami, the kids seemed so much more excited to see him each day. Robbie seemed to have their numbers: each day he’d show up with some new origami creation to show to the kids, after which he’d join them for the game of the day. He wouldn’t admit it, but having people so excited to see him each day made him feel warm inside. A fuzzy feeling, one that made it at least a little less painful to get up so early each morning.

Actually, origami seemed to slowly be integrated into his routine. Each day he’d get up to meet with the kids and Sportacus at the sports park. They’d play some sort of game, ranging from games of imagination to organized sports. Robbie would take part, but every now and then he’d take a break, pulling paper from a bag he carried to fold more paper cranes for the kids. He had taken the time to invest in genuine, high quality origami paper with tons of designs. By the end of each day, he figured he’d folded somewhere around 20 to 30 little cranes, but he always seemed to forget to give them to the kids. To be honest, he wouldn’t remember he made them until he got home each night, realizing he’d left the paper figures all over the park. When he’d get up to retrieve them the next morning, however, they were gone. Some poor maintenance man must’ve cleaned them up. 

“Well, gives him something else to do, other than clean up after those kids.” He justified to himself. “He has to be paid for doing something.”

It had been a few months since he started his endeavor. He got up once again around 8:45 am, ready to start the day. He’d been getting up so often at that time, it had gotten a lot easier to get up early. Granted he still required a cup of coffee or two to be fully operational, but hey it was an improvement. He would pack away another stack of paper into his bag and make his way up to the surface. He arrived at the park to see the kids as usual, this time playing a game of double dutch. Ziggy jumped out, leaving Stephanie still jumping in the middle.   
“Come on Robbie! You’re in!” she called.   
Robbie stopped. “I-I don’t know how to play!” he said worriedly.   
“It’s super easy Robbie! Come on, are you chicken?” Trixie asked teasingly.   
Robbie faked an offended look. “You dare suggest that, I, Robbie Rotten, am a chicken? Just watch this Pixie!” he said. He jumped in the middle, quickly tangling up in the dual ropes. The kids laughed while Robbie tried to untangle his feet. “Okay, I’m guessing there’s a method to this too?” he asked sheepishly.

Stephanie laughed and nodded. “We’ll make it a bit easier, just start in the middle!”   
Robbie stood up, facing Stephanie. Pixel and Stingy started skipping the ropes slowly, letting Stephanie and Robbie get used to the rhythm. At first, Robbie was a little off-kilter, worried about tripping and falling on his face again. But soon enough he was in sync with Stephanie. He smiled, and she smiled back.   
She clapped her hands together, guiding Robbie through a schoolyard chant. “Blackbirds, blackbirds, sitting on a wire. What do we do there? May we inquire? We just sit to see the day, then we flock and fly away. By 1, 2, 3, 4…” Stephanie got to around 20 before she jumped out, leaving Robbie still hopping between the ropes.   
  
Trixie jumped in next. “Do you know any chants Robbie?” she asked.   
Robbie thought for a moment. “I sort of remember one from school: Rooms for rent, inquire within. As I move out, let Ziggy move in!” Robbie managed to slip out of the rope game, a bit more gracefully than he had entered. Ziggy took his place and started a chant of “Cinderella”. Robbie laughed and caught his breath. As he looked up, something…or someone caught his attention.

A man stood on the corner of the street. He was dressed in a gray overcoat, his hands covered with black leather gloves. Large, black shades partially obscured his face. He was frowning, staring straight at Robbie and the kids. When he saw that Robbie had spotted him, he turned back as subtly as he could, and walked the other way. Robbie frowned, his brow furrowed with worry. Who was that guy? And why was he watching him and the kids? A troubling thought crossed his mind, filling his heart with fear.   
“ _Was he an agent from L.O.V? But I still have time!_ ” he wondered, suddenly feeling a lump build in his throat. He was so spooked he didn’t even notice a hand meeting his shoulder.

“Hi Robbie!” said Sportacus cheerily.   
Robbie jumped, nearly screaming. “AHH! I mean, uh ahhh hello Sportacus!” said Robbie, trying to cover his nervousness.   
Sportacus’s expression fell. “Are you okay Robbie?” he asked.   
Robbie, trying to pull himself together, cleared his throat. “Of course! Just, uh, a little jumpy I guess.” He gave Sportacus a teasing look. “I figured you of all people would know sneaking up on others is pretty rude.”   
Sportacus laughed and shook his head. “You got me there. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He turned when he heard Pixel call on him. “Looks like it’s my turn! But Robbie, can I ask you something later?” he said.   
Robbie was a bit surprised. “It’s not about my coffee drinking, is it? Because you’ll have to fight me to make me stop.” He said jokingly.   
Sportacus smiled. “No, that’s for another time. I have something else to ask.”   
Robbie look surprised. “Oh, okay? Sure?” he replied.   
Sportacus nodded. “Great, thanks!” he said as he jumped in next.   
Robbie relaxed against the wall, folding yet another crane, this time made of forest green paper. “ _I wonder what he’s going to ask?_ ” he pondered. He froze. Is it possible that he had seen the agent too? Was he going to ask him about that? And if he did, what would he say? Suddenly being chastised for his coffee drinking didn’t seem quite so bad.

The day passed by quickly. After a few games of jump rope, everyone went inside for a quick lunch. Afterwards, they played a game of pretend, specifically pretending to be cowboys. Robbie got to play the role of the sheriff, with Ziggy and Trixie as his trusty deputies. Stingy was the local barkeep and banker (of course). Pixel was the troubled cattle herder. And in a twist of roles, Stephanie and Sportacus played the dastardly cattle rustlers/bank robbers.   
"Yee-haw! Looks like we got ourselves a few little doggies!" Stephanie chuckled. Sportacus stood guard in front of their captives. Stingy and Pixel were tied up to a nearby tree.  
"Sheriff! Save us!" they both called out.  
Robbie, decked out in a cowboy hat, fake sheriff badge and mustache, brandished his trusty revolver, his loyal deputies by his side. "Reach for the sky you no good rustlers!" he cried. Sportacus and Stephanie stood their ground.  
"We won't go down without a fight!" Stephanie jeered.  
"What do we do sheriff?" asked Ziggy. Robbie chewed the grass stem in his mouth.   
"Alright, ready your guns. We draw on three." Ziggy and Trixie prepared their guns. "One...Two...Three!" he cried. The three hero cowboys drew their guns first, shooting with a shouted "bang!" Stephanie and Sportacus slumped backwards.  
"Augh! This is the end of the road for us cattle rustlers!" Stephanie cried, dramatically acting out her death scene.  
Sportacus nodded. "I'm afraid we're finished!" Robbie, Trixie, and Ziggy ran and untied Stingy and Pixel.  
"Thank you sheriff! You're truly the bravest man who's ever walked the Earth!" Pixel praised.

Robbie waved off the praise. "Just doing my job, citizen." he said with a smile. Robbie felt a strange emotion build within him. As the town villain, he was uncomfortably used to losing as, of course, “the villain always loses”. He almost was adjusted to failure and, even though this was just make believe, winning and being the celebrated figure felt…good? He decided that he was overthinking it.

The kids put away the cowboy hats, hobby horses, and lassos. The sun was setting and it was time for dinner. The kids bid each other goodnight, with Ziggy even giving Robbie a hug. “Night Robbie! You sure are an awesome sheriff!” he said excitedly. He skipped on back home.  
Robbie was touched, but as he turned to Sportacus, he tried to hide how he felt. “Ugh, those kids. They’ll give me a stomach ache with all that sweetness.” He grumbled. Sportacus smiled. “You don’t have to pretend Robbie. They really do like you.”   
Robbie stuck his tongue out and groaned. “Whatever, it’s still sappy.” Robbie looked at Sportacus. “Weren’t you going to ask me something, Sportadork?”   
Sportacus’s face lightened up with remembrance. “Oh yeah! I was just going to ask if…you want to hang out?”   
Robbie’s face felt very warm, his skin turning a shade of rosy pink. “L-Like, right now?” he asked.

Sportacus nodded. “I just thought, well, you play so much with the kids and I, well it’s all very active. You do a lot of things that we like to do! I thought we could do something that you’d like to do for a change?”   
Robbie partially couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “W-Well, I mean, if you want to? Isn’t it a bit…lazy for you though?”   
Sportacus shrugged. “If it’s something my friend enjoys, I’ll try it to the best I can!”   
The word “friend” froze in Robbie’s mind. “I’m your friend?” he asked quietly.   
Sportacus smiled. “Of course! So, can we hang out?”

Robbie fumbled a minute, trying to regain his thoughts. He straightened himself up, adjusting his collar. “Alright, but you better not fall asleep on me! I know you and your insane 8:08 bedtime.” He said in a jokingly stern tone.   
Sportacus laughed. “I will try my best!”   
Robbie led him along. “Good, then let’s hang out.” As Robbie and Sportacus made their way out of town, Robbie tried to hide the spring in his step.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the last fully fluffy chapter we'll have. Hope you had fun with the nice sweet stuff, and get ready for some full-blown angst! Hope you all are enjoying the story thus far! Thank you for reading!


	6. Two Lost Souls Swimming In a Fishbowl

Robbie and Sportacus climbed down the silo leading into Robbie’s lair. He cringed as he remembered the messier state of his home. A plate leftover from breakfast sat on the end table, a mostly empty coffee cup emblazoned with “World’s #1 Villain” next to it. His pile of failed schemes still sat in the corner. His pajamas weren’t put away (that darn cleaning robot was still not working). He looked at Sportacus sheepishly.  
“Sorry about the mess.” He said apologetically.  
Sportacus just smiled. “No worries! We’ll get this cleaned up in no time!”   
“What-“Robbie started, but was stopped as Sportacus did his signature move and flipped into the air. With a kick, Sportacus launched the plate and coffee cup up in the air, landing and catching the plate and cup. With another flip, he sent the plate and cup towards the kitchen, ricocheting them off a wall and straight into the sink. He bundled the pajamas into a ball and tossed them into a bin, then flipped over the pile of machines. He lassoed an extended part of one machine and, with a hard pull, he yanked the machine to consolidate all the devices much closer to each other. With that, the whole lair was clean. He flipped and landed in front of Robbie, dusting his hands against each other.

“…You know, I feel the flips were a bit unnecessary.” Robbie said.   
Sportacus laughed. “But it’s clean now, right?”   
Robbie nodded. “Fair enough. So, what do you want to do?”   
Sportacus shook his head. “That’s not the question. The question is, what do YOU like to do?”   
Robbie nodded. “Right, well I like to watch TV around this time of night usually.” He looked over at a clock on the wall. 7:45 p.m. “Are you SURE you’re not going to fall asleep?” Sportacus stuck out his pinky. “Pinky promise, I won’t fall asleep.” He said firmly.   
Robbie rolled his eyes and hooked his pinky to Sportacus’s. “You’re such a dork.” He commented. He walked over to his recliner and fished around for the button.   
“Wow! World’s 10th greatest villain! Congratulations Robbie!” Sportacus said enthusiastically.   
Robbie’s head shot towards him. “Are you digging through my mail?”   
Sportacus’s smile dropped and he gingerly put away the magazine. “Sorry.” He apologized.  
Robbie shook his head. “It’s okay, just not particularly proud of that.” Finally Robbie found the appropriate button, hidden under a thick layer of fuzz. With a click, the chair opened up into a full sofa.   
Sportacus jumped back. “Woah! That’s amazing!” he shouted.   
Robbie smiled proudly. “Been looking for an excuse to use that.”

Robbie plopped himself down on the couch, urging Sportacus to sit down. Sportacus jumped right onto the seat, nearly launching Robbie off the couch. Flailing, Robbie got himself readjusted in his seat. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, switching it to an old movie he liked. “This is a good one, ever seen it?”   
Like an excited kid, Sportacus shook his head. “I don’t really watch movies!” he said.   
“At least you’ll be easy to please then.” Robbie mumbled. He turned down the lights as the movie began. A young woman, dressed from a time long past, was walking through a train station. A mysterious man was following her. She was quickly stopped from boarding the train by a handsome stranger, who led her away from her stalker. “One of my favorite scenes is coming up, I think you’ll really-“ Robbie started, then saw that Sportacus wasn’t even watching. He was doing push-ups on the ground. Robbie rubbed his forehead. “Sportacus, part of watching a movie is sitting still and paying attention.” He said.   
Sportacus stopped and nodded. “Okay!” He turned and faced the TV, doing some jumping lunges.   
Robbie rolled his eyes. “Close enough I guess.”

As the movie became more and more intense, however, even Sportacus couldn’t multitask. It was a bit amazing to witness. Sportacus, knees drawn up like a little kid, watching the screen intently. Again, Robbie was this close to getting a camera to catch this historic moment. Sportacus actually sitting still.   
“I-I just don’t get it. She loves him! Why would she leave him?” Sportacus asked, watching in disbelief as the woman bids the lead man farewell.   
Robbie shrugged. “Something about her duty to her country. Whatever, it makes a nice, tragic ending.”   
Sportacus looked upset. “But why? This is so sad…” he said with a sigh.   
Robbie looked at him in amazement. “Are you…crying?” he asked with a sly smile.   
Sportacus cleared his throat. “N-No. I’m fine.”   
Robbie, for once, took the comforting position. “It’s okay Sports, I cried the first time I watched this too.” He admitted.   
Sportacus nodded and smiled. “Thanks for telling me that.” He said, yawning loudly afterwards. “Wow! This is the latest I’ve ever stayed up!”  he said tiredly.

Robbie glanced at the clock. “It’s barely even 11. Are you telling me you’ve never stayed up past 8:08?” he asked.   
Sportacus thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Nope! Don’t think so.”   
Robbie got an idea. He lunged towards a drawer, tripping over himself in the process. He fished around and grabbed two blankets. “Then follow me, I’ve got a treat for you.” He said with a grin. He grabbed Sportacus’s hand and dragged him back towards his lair’s entrance. He stopped at the ladder, realizing he was holding Sportacus’s hand. “Heh, uh, just follow me.” He said, wiping his hand on his vest.

The two climbed up and out the pipe, out into the cool night’s air. Robbie laid out the two blankets on the ground and clambered onto one of them. He laid back and sighed, patting the other blanket. “Come lay down, look at the stars.” He beckoned. Sportacus nodded and hopped onto the blanket, laying back. He settled down as much as he could, looking up into the night sky. The whole world seemed still, not a sound to be heard. The only sensation they could feel was the light, mid-fall breeze rustling the grass near their feet.   
“You’re right, this is really nice.” Sportacus said quietly, so not to disturb the silence.   
“I still can’t believe you’ve never experienced this. It’s my favorite part of staying up late.” Robbie said.   
Sportacus shook his head. “Just never tried staying up late."

The two stayed quiet for several minutes, just gazing at the stars. Finally, Sportacus broke the silence. “You know Robbie, I’ve never really had a friend to spend time like this with.” He said quietly. Robbie turned to look at him. “Now that’s a lie.”   
Sportacus looked surprised. “What?”   
Robbie gestured at him. “You, Sportacus, great hero of LazyTown, never had a friend to just stare at the stars with?” He scoffed.   
Sportacus laughed, and gave a sad smile. “To be honest, I’ve never really had a friend like you, ever.”   
Robbie was puzzled. “But what about the kids? The Mayor? Ms. Busybody?” he asked.   
Sportacus sat up, his gaze still affixed to the stars. “Of course, they’re my friends too. But…well Ms. Busybody and the Mayor and I, we don’t talk all that much. I only really talk with the kids each day. And…well, they’re kids! There’s just a level you can’t relate to them on.” He shook his head. “There’s just some things you can’t tell them about.”   
Robbie was still puzzled. “Like what?” he asked.   
Sportacus sighed. “Promise not to tell them?” he said, giving Robbie a sad look.  
Robbie sat up, making a crossing motion across his heart. “Cross my heart, and hope to die.”   
Sportacus gave a nervous laugh. He took a deep breath, sighing as he reached for his hat, hands shaking like a leaf in a storm. Once he finally removed his signature cap, Robbie’s mouth gaped.

Underneath his cap was a mop of golden hair, but that’s not what caught Robbie’s attention. No, it was _those ears._ They were long, ending in points that pointed behind him. They wiggled at the sudden sensation of the evening breeze, the tips slightly red at the sudden shift in temperature. Sportacus gave Robbie an embarrassed look.   
“I-I mean, you’re…they’re…wow, I never knew…” Robbie stammered, still mesmerized by Sportacus’s ears. Years of jokingly calling him “the sports elf”, suddenly no longer jokes.   
Sportacus shook his head. “I know, they aren’t exactly usual for-“   
“They’re amazing.” Robbie blurted, with not even a hint of dishonesty.   
Sportacus’s cheeks turned pink. “T-Thanks.” He responded, eyes drifting to the ground. “The kids…they can’t know about this, okay? I just…” he started, his voice fading as he sighed again. “…I don’t want them to think that they can’t, you know, be healthy and athletic? They might think that, since I’m an elf, that it’s why I can keep so fit. I don’t want them to lose hope.”   
Robbie frowned. “I don’t think you’re giving them enough credit Sportacus.”   
Sportacus laughed, running a hand through his tangled hair. “You’re right, I know you’re right. I guess, I guess I just let my fears get the best of me? I get so caught up trying to be the town hero, I don’t even consider that perhaps people are more understanding than I assume. I feel like I have to keep up a role, you know?” he asked.   
Robbie sighed and smiled. “I know that feeling more than you think.”

Now it was Sportacus’s turn to be inquisitive. “Do…do you feel too much expectations to live up to your role too?”   
Robbie laughed out loud, a harsh laugh with an undertone of sadness. “Do I?? Sports, that’s been my whole life.”   
Sportacus looked confused. “What do you mean?”   
Robbie adjusted himself to a comfortable sitting position. “Have you ever heard of a man named Glanni Glæpur?”   
Sportacus’s eyes widened. “The master criminal? The mass poisoner? THAT Glanni Glæpur?”   
Robbie nodded. “You can add “my father” to that list of descriptions.”

Robbie’s eyes turned up towards the sky, his mind flooding with memories. “It’s hard to be much else when you have someone like Glanni as your father. Everyone expects you to follow in his footsteps, take his place once he’s too old as a master criminal. Someone people fear and hate, someone whose name is cursed. But…”   
Robbie could feel his eyes water. He tried to stuff his tears down. “…I never truly wanted that. My father, what he did? It terrified me as a kid. He got that look in his eyes whenever he committed his next crime. It was so cold, I hated it so much. And he’d get so angry when I showed how scared I was.”   
Robbie stood up, standing straight, his face screwed into a frown. “Robert Glæpur, you will not DARE shy from what you’re destined to be. You are a Glæpur, and you will be a master villain like each Glæpur before you. I won’t tolerate your weakness, you have to crush it. Only then will you truly be a member of the Glæpur family. I want PROOF that you’re a Glaepur! You must be able to…”

He paused, a sob caught in his throat, his head still filling with painful memories. “…to take a life.” He sunk to his knees, tears rolling down his face.   
Sportacus’s heart broke. He scooched over to Robbie, putting an arm around him. Robbie looked at Sportacus. “I-I’m so sorry Robbie, no one should go through what you went through.” He said quietly.   
Robbie gave a choked laugh, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. “It would’ve been much worse. At least I had someone like my mother.” His eyes filled with a sad sort of remembrance, not crying sad, but a sort of nostalgic sadness. “She was so wonderful. My father had met her while on one of his crime schemes. She used to be just as ruthless and cruel as him, but once she nearly died while on a poisoning spree with him…well, she changed her stance.   
She always told me, “Robbie, you may choose whatever path you wish. But never feel that you must be like your father. If you can’t bring yourself to kill, then don’t. There’s nothing wrong with following your gut instinct.”.” Tears once again filled his eyes. “When I was fourteen, she left us. No note, no explanation. She was just gone. I was heartbroken, and my father was furious. He treated me a lot more harshly after that, until I became fed up with it. I packed my bags and left. I used much of my money just searching for any sign of my mother.” He gritted his teeth as he felt another sob stuck in his throat, tears staining his cheeks. “…I never found her.”   
Sportacus tried to calm him, but decided the best thing to do was to let Robbie cry it all out. It seemed like he had repressed all his feelings for so long. “It’s okay Robbie.” He said quietly. Robbie broke down. For several minutes he just sobbed. Sportacus pulled him in for a hug, and Robbie cried onto his uniform. After some time, he finally managed to compose himself.   
“That’s why I go by the name “Rotten” now. I wanted nothing to do with my father. I had hoped that by distancing myself from my family, I might have a chance at a new start.” He shook his head. “Instead I’m back exactly where everyone told me I’d be. A villain.” He said, his voice growing more quiet.

Sportacus paused, then looked Robbie in the eye. “Well, you don’t have to be? You’ve been making great progress in turning your life around. The kids? They adore you, they think you’re so amazing! They love all the things you can do. And…” The pink returned to his cheeks again. “…I think you’re amazing too.”   
Robbie blushed for a second, then scoffed. “Sure, if you say so.” He said dismissively. He smiled and laughed, trying to change the mood. “How about you Sportadupe? What’s your story? What makes you so caught up in trying to be the hero?” he asked dramatically, pretending to hold a notepad and pencil in his hands.   
Sportacus gave a slight smile and shook his head. “I guess you can say I’ve been always caught up in proving myself and living up to expectations.” He admitted.   
Robbie nodded, pretending to feverishly write on his “notepad”.   
Sportacus laughed at Robbie’s behavior, but slowly looked down towards the ground, his fingers playing around with a few strands of grass. “When I was growing up, I didn’t have much in the form of “family”. My mom, she died when I was very young.”   
Robbie paused. Suddenly his joking “reporter” schtick seemed insensitive.   
“And my father, well, he was like most other sports elves. He traveled the world, helping people, teaching them about living a healthy lifestyle, stopping evil-doers. I really looked up to him and loved him, but he never was around.” Sportacus’s eyes raised up to the sky. “It was always a great day when his airship would dock on my home island. I remember I’d always run to the dock and jump into his big, open arms. I’d hug him so close, hoping this would be the last time he left.”   
He shook his head with a sad smile. “It seemed like he’d rarely come home. The elders of my village always told me that that’d be my job someday. They’d always extol these large stories about my dad, about how he once saved a beached whale by tossing it back into the ocean. How he ran so fast, he could catch up to a jet airplane. How he was always there when someone needed him. All I wanted was to be just like him.” He kept his eyes up towards the stars as Robbie listened intently. “All elves at a certain age are tested for their physical abilities. How strong they are, how fast, how agile. Everything important for them to be if they were to help people. I went in with everyone expecting me to be just like my father, blowing away all records and being the head of my class.” “And you weren’t.” Robbie concluded, realizing too late how insensitive he sounded.

Sportacus silently shook his head. “Below average. I tested below average. It was rare enough for a sports elf to test below expectations, but the son of my father? It was unheard of.”   
He laughed another sad laugh, tears forming in the outer corners of his eyes. “My whole childhood became focused on just trying to catch up, trying to prove to everyone I was just as capable as any other elf. I worked so hard, day and night, working myself to the bone. But no matter what, it wasn’t good enough. They’d just look at me and shake their heads, say what a shame that my father’s prowess didn’t pass on to me. Overnight, I became a pariah in my own village.”   
“But you’re so strong! I watch you do those flippity-flips each day! You’re one of the strongest, most agile people I’ve met! In fact, I bet you are the strongest!” Robbie said, flabbergasted. Sportacus smiled at him, his smile quickly breaking. “It still doesn’t change that I’m not even as strong as I should be. I wasn’t what they wanted. I was an outcast trying so desperately hard to be something that I just…I just couldn’t be. That’s why I left, I took my sports crystal and an airship. And I just left.”   
He paused. “…And I’ve never been back since.” Tears rolled down his face as he looked at Robbie. “You remember that day that Ziggy asked me what I was afraid of?”   
Robbie thought for a moment, then nodded. “I vaguely remember.”   
Sportacus tried to force a smile, but couldn’t. “That’s what I am afraid of. I don’t want to fail everyone here. I feel like I’ve failed so many people in my life, just by not being enough. I find a place where I can be everything they need and hope for. I…I just don’t want to lose that too.” Sportacus furrowed his brow, grasping his head. “I-I’m sorry, that must sound awful to you. I’m so sorry…”

It was a bit disturbing to Robbie, seeing Sportacus at such a low. Seeing a man usually associated with such composure, such strength, broken and shaking like a little kid. With a bit of awkwardness, Robbie put his arm around the elf. “It’s okay, Sportacus.”   
Sportacus then pulled him into a hug, tears staining Robbie’s shirt. Robbie froze for a moment, still comprehending what happened, before then wrapping his arms around Sportacus to return the hug. He smoothed the back of Sportacus’s hair, rubbing his back gently as he listened to him sob.  
“H…How long have you been holding this back?” Robbie slowly asked.   
Sportacus sniffled. “T-Too long…” he said, his voice muffled by the fabric of Robbie’s shirt.

Robbie continued to comfort the sobbing elf. He continued to weave his fingers through Sportacus’s blonde hair, to run his other hand up and down his back. He leaned in a bit closer, resting his face against Sportacus’s. He pulled away to look Sportacus in the eyes. He could still see the tears brimming and pouring down his face, his face red and puffy from crying. He gave him a small, comforting smile, as he brushed the tears from his face.   
“Sportacus, you never need to be afraid of not being enough. I mean, look what you’ve done for this town! The people are happier than they’ve ever been. They have something they didn’t have before. They have someone to believe in, to be their role model. Who cares what the other elves said when you were younger? You’re more than enough, you’re something special. The people of Lazytown definitely think that.” He dried away more tears from Sportacus’s face, biting his lip as he then said, “I think you’re special too. Someone irreplaceable.”   
Sportacus’s eyes brightened, still glistening with fresh tears. His cheeks and ears turned a rosy shade of red. Robbie’s face followed suit as he felt the energy around them, almost like a magnet. The two felt themselves drawn to each other, pulling in a way neither had experienced before. Their eyes closed as they came closer together, their lips just barely ghosting against each other. Robbie, however stopped. “ _No, we shouldn’t. Not yet, this would add too much to think about._ ” He thought to himself. He instead sufficed by pulling Sportacus close to him again, wrapping him in a warm embrace.

Conflicting and confused emotions stewed within Robbie. What was happening to him? This was all so much to take in? Was he really about to kiss his long-sworn enemy?   
“ _Perhaps it was just because of all these strong emotions. We’re both emotional and tired, maybe it just sounded like a good idea at the time._ ” He thought. He held Sportacus closer. “ _Then why do I feel so disappointed? Why…do I still want to?_ ” He could feel Sportacus squeeze him more. Robbie closed his eyes and buried his face in Sportacus’s vest, near his neck. In that moment, he felt more comfort and warmth than he had in so long. He didn’t want it to end.

“ _What am I feeling? What do I do? I’m so confused_.” He thought worriedly. He opened his eyes and looked up at Sportacus. Part of him wondered, and hoped, that maybe Sportacus was just as confused, scared, yet happy as he was. As the energy of their pent-up emotions and grievances faded, the two felt themselves pulled by the lull of sleep. Too exhausted to bring themselves back into Robbie’s lair, the two instead held close in their embrace, wrapped up in the thick blankets. The cool air made Robbie shiver slightly, as he braced closer to Sportacus. He leaned his head against Sportacus’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. It was soothing for whatever reason. Robbie sighed, letting out some of the last of the sadness he had been holding in, and fell into a sleep sounder than he had in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! That was quite a bit of strong emotions there. Thank you all for joining me for the first of several angst-ridden chapters. And for those who liked the fluff, no worries, there's still some pretty fluffy moments on the way. Thank you all for hanging around and reading! I hope you all enjoy how the story progresses! I know I'm definitely excited to share what happens next :)


	7. Dual-Edged Sword

The next few meetings were…weird, to say the least. That night had switched up the dynamic between Sportacus and Robbie, and neither were too sure what to make of it. At first, they tried to keep things just friendly and nonchalant, especially around the kids. They acted as close as they could to how they were before their little emotional meeting. Robbie continued to crack jokes and give Sportacus little nicknames and Sportacus would keep his usual, upbeat nature to all of Robbie’s remarks. Robbie wondered at times if it were easier for Sportacus, he at least just had to keep being nice to everyone like usual. Robbie, on the other hand, felt like a bit of a jerk as he continued to make comments and call Sportacus different nicknames. Granted, he stopped calling him the “blue elf”, but he often had to catch himself from calling him more affectionate names like “Sports” or “Sporty”. He at first tried to make it work by interacting less with Sportacus, focusing instead on the daily game or his origami folding, but inevitably he’d feel the pang of guilt from ignoring Sportacus so deliberately. Darn this whole experience for making him go soft. After another chat, they decided to try just once again acting normal.

But it didn’t take long for the kids to notice the little idiosyncrasies. After all, it didn’t exactly take a super sleuth to notice that whenever Sportacus and Robbie talked, their gazes would linger on each other just a little longer than normal. That more than usual they’d go have lunch with each other alone, rather than joining the kids at Stephanie’s house. How Sportacus and Robbie seemed more at ease with one another, their hands-on occasion contacting each other. It drove the kids a little crazy, to be honest. They watched this behavior go on for weeks before they finally agreed to stage an intervention.

“Sportacus, you’ve got to knock this off.”   
It was at the end of a long day of play when Stephanie and the kids approached Sportacus, arms crossed and faces filled with scrutiny.   
Sportacus’s usual smile faded. “Knock what off?” he asked.   
“We know you’re hiding something, you can’t fool us!” Ziggy said, nodding at the other kids for their support. They all nodded back.   
Sportacus pointed to himself, looking shocked at the kids’ accusation. “Me? Come on, I don’t have anything to hide.” He said innocently.   
“Oh, come on Sportacus! Just because we’re kids doesn’t mean we don’t have eyes.” Said Stingy.   
“Yeah, seriously Sportacus! It’s so obvious, and you won’t own up to it!” Trixie added.   
A bit of sweat beaded on Sportacus’s forehead. “And what is it I’m owning up to?” he asked cautiously.   
Stephanie shook her head and frowned. “You know exactly what we’re talking about! The recent number of lunches with Robbie, ALONE.”   
Sportacus shook his head. “Now that’s just us-“   
“The way you two sometimes just stare at each other.” Pixel added.   
“C-Come on we don’t stare-“ Sportacus stuttered.  
“The amount of times your hands brush against each other?? Seriously??” Stingy interjected.   
Sportacus was fumbling around for words, managing only to speak a few tangled syllables.   
“Admit it Sportacus! There’s something funny going on between you and Robbie! So what’s going on?!” Ziggy loudly asked.   
Sportacus finally broke. “A-Alright! I like him! I really like him! That’s the truth, that’s what’s going on.” He blurted.

The kids gasped and looked at each other. Sportacus breathed heavily, his pupils shrinking when he realized exactly what he said. His face was red as a beet.   
“Finally! Was that really so hard?” Stephanie asked, smiling with excitement.   
Sportacus was flummoxed. “Y-You guys already knew?” he gaped.   
Trixie rolled her eyes. “Come on Sportacus, it wasn’t like you guys were subtle. We’ve all known for a while.” The kids nodded in agreement, and Sportacus could feel himself turn an even darker shade of red.   
Stephanie leaned against him. “So! Have you thought about asking Robbie on a date?”   
Sportacus stammered, “A d-date?”   
Stingy nodded. “Of course, a date. You know, candlelit dinners, violin music, goodnight kisses…”   
Ziggy looked at Stingy in surprise. “Since when do you know so much about romantic things?”   
Stingy shot Ziggy a look. “I don’t question your interests, do I?”   
“No, I guess not.” Ziggy answered sheepishly.   
Sportacus smiled and shook his head. “I mean, I’ve never really asked anyone on a date before.” He confessed.   
Stephanie gasped, then smiled at the other kids. “We could help you! It doesn’t look too hard, does it? We could be your…your…”   
“Wingmen?” Stingy suggested.   
“Still weird you know this stuff.” Ziggy mumbled. Stingy shot him another look.   
“Yeah, your wingmen! We could help you successfully ask Robbie on a date!” Stephanie said with a grin.   
Sportacus thought over his options, then assented. “Well, I guess it would be nice to have some support.” The kids cheered.

Robbie had just relaxed in his armchair when his telephone ringed. He groaned and picked up the receiver. “Yes, hello? What is it?” he asked grumpily.   
A quieter voice spoke up on the other end, “R-Robbie?”   
Robbie sat up. “Sportacus? Is that you?”   
“Yes! This…is Sportacus.” he answered.   
Robbie felt some elation. “Well, hello Sporty! Wasn’t expecting you! Wait, how are you calling me? I thought you didn’t have a phone?” He listened a little closer. “And what’s that noise in the background? Where are you?”   
“I’m, ah, using a public telephone.” Sportacus responded, the noise that Robbie heard being the chittering sounds of the whispering kids, all gathered around him. “Must be a poor reception.” Robbie sat back again, twirling the wire between the fingers of his free hand. “So, what’s going on? Everything okay?”

“Yes! I mean, no! Well, I wanted to ask you something.” Sportacus said, flustered and feeling heat building under his collar.   
“Yeah?” Robbie responded.   
Sportacus cleared his throat. “I-I was wondering if you’d like to…maybe tonight…” He paused and looked behind him. Stephanie gave him an enthusiastic thumbs-up. He smiled and turned back to the phone. “A-As long as you weren’t busy, may go on a…date?”   
Robbie froze. His hands felt suddenly sweaty, and he could feel his heart beating out of his chest. “You mean, like a date sort of date? As in, candlelit dinners, violin music, that sort of date?” he asked.   
“Yes, I mean I believe that’s what is means.” Sportacus responded.   
Robbie had to use all of his power not to just blurt his acceptance. “Okay! That…that sounds nice. See you at nine tonight?” he asked.   
Sportacus nodded, even though he knew Robbie couldn’t see him. “Sure! Sounds good. I’ll see you later on tonight. Okay, goodbye.” Sportacus hung up the phone.   
The kids cheered. “Congrats Sportacus!” Stephanie cheered.   
“You’ve got yourself a real date!” Pixel grinned.   
“Yes, congratulations Sport-“ Stingy began, but his eyes looked up at Sportacus’s outfit. “No, this won’t do! You can’t wear this on your date!”   
Sportacus looked surprised. “Well why not? This is what I usually wear.”   
Stingy tsk’d and shook his head. “That’s exactly the problem! You can’t just wear your everyday clothes! You need something special! Quickly, follow me!” Stingy grabbed Sportacus’s hand and led him towards his house. The kids swiftly followed along.

Meanwhile, down below, Robbie was doing his own pondering of evening attire.   
“It’s been so long since I’ve been on a date, I wonder if I even have anything appropriate! I can’t just wear any, old dingy thing!” An idea popped into his head. “My costume tubes!” He grinned. “It’s disguise time!” His face fell a bit. “Well okay, not technically disguise time…but close enough!”   
He strode towards the giant glass tubes, their surfaces covered with a thin layer of dust from the lack of use. He polished off the glass to see inside each tube. The first tube held a cat costume. “Too fluffy.”  
The second held an old, Victorian era dress. “Too stuffy.”   
The third tube contained a hobo outfit. “Too scruffy!”   
And the last tube housed an old timey sailor’s outfit, complete with inflatable arms with fake tattoos. “Too…toughie!” Robbie threw down his arms and groaned. “I don’t have anything suitable for a date! Now it’ll look like I don’t care!” He crossed his arms and thought once again. After a few minutes, his face lightened up. “I might just know someone who can help though.”

The kids had held Sportacus hostage in a dressing room for nearly an hour. Small piles of discarded clothes littered the room. Stingy and Stephanie waited attentively for Sportacus to emerge in his next outfit while Pixel, Ziggy, and Trixie dug through the closets looking for more outfit combinations. Sportacus emerged a second later, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt and shorts.   
Stingy grimaced and shook his head. “No, I think not.”   
Sportacus sighed exasperatedly. “Guys, is this really necessary? It feels like a lot of work for something as simple as a date.”   
Stingy patted Sportacus’s arm. “Sportacus, looks are at least half of the event! This is how you show Robbie you care! By taking the time to make yourself look more presentable than usual! Now get back in there!”   
Sportacus shook his head and re-entered the dressing room. Stingy, standing like an army general, addressed everyone. “Now guys, we’ve really got to keep trying. This isn’t just any old formal event, this is a date! Super important! We’ve got to help Sportacus give off the right impression! Sophisticated, dashing, a true gentleman…”   
Stephanie tapped his shoulder. “Like that?”   
Stingy turned around and his mouth dropped. Sportacus had stepped out in a midnight blue suit jacket with matching slacks, a dark royal blue vest, all over a white button up shirt. A gray tie completed the ensemble. He still wore his silly cap and his sports crystal, but overall, he looked quite handsome. “Perfect.” Stingy said breathlessly.

A few knocks at the door got Bessie to answer. She looked at Robbie, shocked. “Robbie! What a surprise! Come in, come in!” she beckoned.   
Robbie nodded. “Thanks Bessie, but I’m afraid I’m in quite a hurry. I need to get ready for a date tonight.”   
Bessie stopped, turning on her heel. She gasped. “Why Robbie! Congratulations! Who’s the lucky girl?”   
Robbie gave a slightly uncomfortable laugh. “Well, it’s, uh, not a girl. It’s actually Sportacus.” He admitted.   
Bessie didn’t even blink. “Oh! Well then, he’s a very lucky man, as are you. But what’s the problem?”   
Robbie gestured to a large suitcase he had brought with him. “I’m not quite sure what to wear.” He said.   
Bessie seemed ecstatic. “Leave it to me! I’m sure you have something we can work with.” Like a kid on Christmas, Bessie tore through the case of clothing, pulling a few choice pieces of clothing out. It only took a few minutes for her to emerge with an ensemble. “I think you’d look positively dashing in this little number!”   
Robbie frowned at the choice. “Isn’t this the suit jacket I wore to Ziggy’s birthday? Isn’t that not enough?”   
Bessie only smiled. “Robbie, I think what’s most important is that you bring your best self to a date. The clothes are just a part of it. You’ll look great in this jacket, it doesn’t matter if he’s seen you in it before.”   
Robbie smiled back. “Thanks Bessie.”   
“Oh! Before you leave…” Ms. Busybody dashed out to the garden, returning with a bouquet of freshly cut flowers. “Never forget these.” She said, giving Robbie a quick hug.   
“Thanks for all your help.” He said warmly. Before he left, Bessie gave him a wink.   
“You're gonna knock it out of the park.” She said with a smile.

Back at his lair, Robbie danced around. Time seemed to go so slow.   
“Only one more hour!” he said to himself cheerily. He stopped to sniff the fresh flowers Ms. Busybody had given him. Their sweet scent filled his head and made him feel giddy. Never before in his life had he felt so excited and happy. He sat back in his armchair, eyes trained on the clock. “This night couldn’t get any better.” He said dreamily, imagining the night going better than he could expect, maybe even ending with a kiss. His first kiss with Sportacus. He sighed happily and relaxed into his chair.

Static. The sound of static filled the room. Robbie was quickly broken out of his trance by the intruding noise. He frowned, sitting up to look at the TV screen. He hadn’t turned on the TV, right? The static then was replaced by a familiar image of a boardroom, with a silhouetted figure sitting in the middle, this time flanked on each side by two silent silhouettes. Robbie’s heart dropped. “ _No, not tonight. Please not tonight…_ ” he thought feverishly.   
“We need to talk Mr. Rotten.” The figure began.   
Robbie sat forward in his arm chair, his fingers clenching the arms of his chair so tightly they turned white. “Is there a problem, sir?” he said, his voice nearly cracking.   
“Don’t play stupid with us Mr. Rotten.” The voice replied sternly. Robbie’s expression dropped. “Your performance of recent, Mr. Rotten, is an absolute disgrace. We gave you much more mercy than we had planned to give you. We gave you an easy out, advice, a lengthy time limit. And what did you do with all our gifts?” The figure was handed a large, manila folder. He pulled out reams and reams of data and graphs. “Laziness quota in Lazytown: trend remains relatively the same. Presence of hero enforcement: presence remains the same since last report months ago.” He slammed the folder down and growled. “You haven’t done a single thing to curb this disturbing trend. Not one, single thing.”   
Robbie flinched at each of the figure’s words. “B-But I have been working on it! I-I’ve managed to successfully befriend Sportacus! He trusts me! All I have to do is get rid of him…”

“But you don’t plan to do that, do you Mr. Rotten?” the figure asked accusingly.   
Robbie stopped. “What makes you think that?”   
The silhouette angrily sighed. “Most people don’t get rid of people they love Mr. Rotten. And we have proof that you, Mr. Rotten, have long forgotten your mission and gotten yourself far too intertwined with the enemy!” He threw out more papers onto the table. Photos of Sportacus and Robbie together. Transcripts of their phone conversation. Notes on each day’s activities. Robbie’s face paled. “You’ve gotten far too deep in your plan to earn your enemy’s trust. No, that’s too generous, you’ve managed to fall in love with him! A villain! Falling in love with a hero! Such a disgrace you’ve become, some son of Glanni you turned out to be.”   
Robbie could feel heat rising in his chest, an unstoppable burning and seething rage. “Good! I never wanted to be anything like my father, so I’ll take your words as a compliment!” he blurted.   
The figure stood up, glowering at Robbie through the screen. Robbie gulped and shrunk back. “It’s very clear to see that this mission has become too personal for you Mr. Rotten. You’ve become delusional, and are unfit to be called a villain. You have failed your mission, and thus your status as a villain will be revoked. And our agents will clean up the leftovers of your failure by getting rid of the sports elf.”

Robbie was white as a sheet. He fell to his hands and knees. “No! Please, I beg you! Give me one more chance! I am a villain, I’ll prove it to you!” he pleaded.   
The silhouette was unmoved. “We’ve given you more chances than you ever deserved.”   
The words stung, but Robbie was undeterred. “Please! Give me another chance! I-I’ll do anything! I’ll do anything to prove to you I’m a good villain!”   
The silhouette paused. “Anything?”   
Robbie, tears choked up in his throat, nodded furiously. “Anything! Please, just don’t send your agents out here.”  
The silhouette stroked his chin, sitting back down. “Very well, we’ll give you another chance Mr. Rotten. On one condition.”   
Robbie’s attention was drawn to the clanging sound above him. From the ceiling pipe, a box dropped down. He barely managed to catch it before it hit the floor. Looking at the box, he saw that it was a dark shade of purple, nicely tied with a bright, orange bow. He tugged at the ribbon as the figure continued to speak. “As you can imagine Mr. Rotten, we can’t just ignore your previous failures and would usually apply a suitable punishment to you. But since you’re so eager to prove yourself, we’ve decided to combine your redemption opportunity with your punishment. You can earn back your villain status…” Robbie removed the ribbon and carefully lifted the top of the box. What he saw nearly made his heart stop.

Laying on a red, satin pillow, nicely shaped and molded of silver, was a long, thin, dagger.   
“…if you kill your hero, the person who you obviously care about most.”   
Robbie was trembling, he shook his head. Tears filled his eyes, his throat dry and feeling like cotton. Horrid memories bombarded his mind; memories of his father, of his poisons, his insistent urgings to take the lives of so many rodents, birds, and lizards.   
“ _You’ll never be a true Glaepur unless you do this. It’s very simple once you start. I’ve even picked out the appropriate poison for you. Do it Robert, become what you’re meant to be_.” The voice of his father echoed in his mind.   
“I-I can’t….” said Robbie tearfully. He looked up at the screen. “H-How could you ask this of me?”

“It’s your choice, Mr. Rotten. You can take this opportunity, sever yourself from this embarrassing chapter of your life, and truly rise to your potential as a villain. Or let yourself die with this mistake.” The figure sat back, hands folded together. “Your move, Mr. Rotten.” The screen went black.

As soon as the picture disappeared, Robbie threw the dagger across the room. He dry-heaved, feeling his stomach churning and his mind become foggy with panic. He gasped and cried, curling into himself.   
“No…no…no…” he muttered over and over again. For a split second, his eyes went back up to the silver dagger, glinting under the bright light of his lair. He looked away once more. Sobbing, he rocked himself back and forth. At no point more in his life had he ever wanted to just not make a choice. To remove himself from the world and find some peace and happiness. But that wasn't happening. He was left with two impossible decisions. And the outcome of either only fueled his sorrow and endless weeping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah yes, the rollercoaster of a chapter. I hope you all enjoy it, even though it dropped pretty quickly from fluff to full-on angst in a millisecond haha. Thank you for reading, and I hope you all enjoy the next few chapters! We're getting to the scene that the art inspired!
> 
> Also, if you'd like, here's the suit I referenced for Sportacus, with an alteration or two: http://cdn2.next.co.uk/Common/Items/Default/Default/ItemImages/Search/224x336/837360.jpg?X56


	8. Stays in Motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for injury and mild gun violence. It's nothing too intense, but thought I'd just warn anyone who might be sensitive to those situations.

Sportacus sat impatiently, foot tapping against the ground. He could feel his nerves rising as time slipped past 9 pm. He adjusted the candle on the table. It was truly amazing: the kids had spent their evening creating the perfect date locale just for Sportacus and Robbie. Stingy and Ziggy had strung up strings of lights across the canopy, Trixie supplied a boombox that played romantic violin music. Stephanie had given him a rose to give to Robbie and supplied the table settings. And Pixel? He had programmed the long-abandoned fountain near the café to turn on as soon as Sportacus pushed a button. He called it a “visual flair”. Sportacus checked his watch again. 9:10, Robbie was late. He sighed and took a deep breath. Finally, his heart soared when he saw Robbie walking down the street.

Robbie clenched the bouquet of flowers tightly in his fist, his eyes uneasily focused right on the glow of the string lights. He could feel the dagger weigh uncomfortably in his pocket, sheathed in a spare piece of leather he found. Last thing he wanted was to stab himself by accident. So much of him thought of running off, away from Sportacus, away from the situation he had gotten himself in. He could see the L.O.V. agents hiding in the bushes of the nearby park. A fleeting thought made him hope that, perhaps, if he went running he could divert the attention of the agents. Possibly, he would only take a few bullets, and save Sportacus’s life in the process. Give him time to run away.  
“ _No. Sportacus would never run. He’d see me in trouble, run towards me and…_ ” Robbie thought, shaking his head to wipe the disturbing thought from his brain. All those thoughts were erased, however, once he finally caught a glimpse of Sportacus, his form illuminated by the many electric lights. He had removed his cap, and his golden hair seemed positively radiant under the glow.

Robbie was speechless as he approached Sportacus. “Wow…” he finally managed to say, taking in the sight of his sharply dressed date.  
“You look amazing.” Sportacus said with a smile, bracing his hands on Robbie’s arms gently.  
“And you look breathtakingly handsome.” Robbie commented. Sportacus blushed and laughed. Robbie handed him the flowers, which Sportacus accepted with a surprised smile. “They’re absolutely beautiful! Are they from Bessie?”  
Robbie sheepishly nodded. “They were her idea.”  
Sportacus sniffed the colorful blossoms. “I love them.” He said happily.  
The two finally sat down at the table. Sportacus pulled out two plates of spaghetti that the kids had prepared earlier, kept warm in one of Pixel’s inventions (a sort of reverse-refrigerator). The two eagerly ate their dinners, which were absolutely delicious. The kids had really outdone themselves. For a while, Robbie was at ease. The two chatted casually about their days, about the kids, and about their lives.  
“I’m not kidding! One elf I knew from school got an airship stuck in an iceberg!” Sportacus said with a grin.  
Robbie was amazed. “And he never got in trouble for it?!”  
Sportacus shook his head and laughed. “No, but it really wasn’t shocking. He was the son of one of the council elders. I’m pretty sure he could belch in front of the elf queen and he’d make some excuse for how it’s appropriate!” For whatever reason, the image of a tiny little elf burping and acting like a fool in front of an assumedly sophisticated figure like the queen of the elves really tickled Robbie and he roared with laughter, snorting as he did.  
He covered his mouth. “Sorry! That was really awful.”  
Sportacus smiled and laughed. “What are you talking about? You have such a nice laugh! So cute!” he complimented.  
Robbie blushed. “I know you’re lying, Sportadork. The snorting part is awful!”  
Sportacus shook his head. “No! I love it, it’s so adorable!”  
Robbie laughed, his hand meeting Sportacus’s. As he opened his eyes however, calming himself from his laughing fit, he caught a glimpse of an agent training his sight on Sportacus. His heart dropped, and he quickly retracted from holding Sportacus’s hand.  
Sportacus was confused. “Is everything okay?” Sportacus’s gaze nearly followed to where Robbie was looking, until Robbie stopped him.  
“I’m fine! Just thought I heard a cat or something. Tell me another of your elf stories!” He gave Sportacus an uneasy smile. Sportacus, not convinced something wasn’t wrong, only nodded and slowly went back to his story telling.

The evening continued like that, with the exchange of many an anecdote and funny story. Before they knew it, it was near midnight. Sportacus held Robbie’s hand and led him up from his seat. “Thank you for such a wonderful evening Sports.” Robbie said quietly.  
“Wait here.” Sportacus insisted. He darted to the boombox, changing the song to a slow dance song. He returned to Robbie, pulling him into an embrace as their feet slowly shuffled to the music. “This has been a remarkable evening, hasn’t it?” Sportacus said, his voice warm with content. He nuzzled his face into Robbie’s chest. “I feel so happy being with you. I hope you feel the same.” Robbie’s attention wasn’t on the elf in that moment. He could see, as they danced, the agents raising their rifles. His heart beat faster, but he couldn’t let Sportacus know there was something wrong.  
“I-I do Sportacus. I…I hope this never ends.” Their dancing slowed to a still.  
Sportacus looked up at Robbie, his brow furrowed with worry. “Robbie, are you nervous?” he asked.  
Robbie seized up a bit, he felt like his body was about to burst with all the guilt and panic building within him. “Sportacus, I’m sorry, I-“ he stuttered, but was silenced by Sportacus placing a finger over his lips.  
“Shhh, you don’t need to be.” He said reassuringly. His finger traced down to Robbie’s chin, and he gently pulled him closer. Their foreheads were pressed together, their noses touching against each other. Sportacus’s arms were draped above Robbie’s shoulders, his eyes warm and deeply filled with love. “I believe we left something unfinished from a while ago, yes?” he said in a near whisper.  
Robbie had one arm around Sportacus’s waist, the other was trembling at his side. “Please, Sportacus-“ he started, his voice breaking at the end.  
Sportacus gave him a small smile, smoothing the back of his head. “It’s okay Robbie.” He whispered. Sportacus continued to gently rub the back of Robbie’s head. Robbie choked back a sob as his hand wrapped around the dagger, its blade slipping free of its leather cover.

Sportacus’s cheeks were a bright pink as his one hand slipped from behind Robbie’s head back to near his neck. He closed his eyes, preparing for a kiss. Robbie shook terribly as he reached the dagger behind Sportacus, slowly bringing it closer to his back. From the corner of his eyes he could see the agents lowering their rifles as the dagger came closer to Sportacus. His head was flooded with racing thoughts. “ _I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. Please Sportacus, please forgive me. I-I couldn’t let them hurt you. I had no choice. I thought that maybe this would be better. But it’s not better, it’s killing me inside. I wish I had another option. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this. I don’t-_ “ His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by another string of memories:

“ _They love all the things you can do! They think you’re amazing, and I think so too._ ”

“ _Wow, Robbie! You’re really talented! That’s amazing!_ ”

“ _Robbie, you are the best sheriff!_ ”

“ _Come on Robbie! It’s not lunch without you!_ ”

“ _You’ve made so much progress in turning your life around!_ ”

“ _Robbie, you may choose whatever path you wish. But never feel that you must be like your father. There’s nothing wrong with following your gut instinct._ ”

The dagger ran against the fabric of Sportacus’s suit coat. Robbie breathed heavily, taking in a deep breath, finding his resolve. The silence was broken by the beeping and glowing of Sportacus’s sports crystal. “Someone’s in-“ Sportacus began.  
“I CAN’T DO IT!” Robbie wailed. Simultaneously, he let go of Sportacus, dropped the dagger, and stepped away from him. He was hyperventilating, rubbing his own arms, attempting to quell the tremors and panic running through his body. Sportacus was in shock. He looked behind him, his face paling at the sight of the dagger. He turned to look at Robbie, a betrayed look in his eyes. “Run, Sportacus.” Robbie managed to say, his voice near broken, his eyes darting towards the bushes.   
“Robbie, what’s going-“ Before he could even register what was going on or finish his sentence, he was stopped by the deafening sound of a gunshot. Sportacus gripped his side and cried out in pain.  
“NO!” Robbie screamed. He grabbed Sportacus’s arm and dove the two of them into an alleyway as the agents opened fire upon their little date spot. One of the bullets connected with Robbie’s leg. He screamed and cursed at the pain, but kept going. He could hear the footsteps of the agents running after them. He looked down at Sportacus. “Are you hurt??” he asked worriedly.  
Sportacus looked up at him, his brow furrowed and his expression strained. “I’m fine, keep moving!” he said through gritted teeth. The two tore through the alleyways of LazyTown, darting around corners and moving haphazardly to try and lose their pursuers.

It felt like hours before finally Robbie and Sportacus could stop to catch their breath. The agents were still looking for them. Robbie’s heart froze when one of the agents would stop near their hiding place. He tried to hold his breath as the agent, dressed in all black, snooped around the many trashcans and garbage bags, turning over a few. As he crept closer and closer, at risk of discovering Robbie and Sportacus, he gets a message over his headset, and he sprinted in the opposite direction. Robbie let out a relieved sigh, leaning against the trashcan. He felt so light-headed, and the leg that had been shot ached so much. He rubbed the area near the entry wound and hissed. It was bad, but he’d live. He just needed to get him and Sportacus to safety, someplace where they could be treated and kept safe until this all blew over. Then maybe they’d-  
“Robbie, something’s wrong.”  
Robbie breathed heavily. “What else could be wr…oh no.” he said, his eyes widening once he finally got a glimpse of Sportacus. Sportacus’s skin was flushed a bright, sickly red, and sweat was pouring from his forehead. His eyes were glazing over, and he pawed weakly at Robbie’s arm. Robbie began to panic. “C-Come on Sportacus, it’s just a little bullet wound.” Even he felt sickened by how cheap he made Sportacus’s injury sound. It was his fault after all. Robbie stood up and grabbed Sportacus’s arms. “Here, let’s get you up Sportacus, and you’ll see it’s not so bad.” With a start and a grunt, Robbie eventually got Sportacus onto his feet, only to see his legs wobble like a jar of jelly. Robbie’s face was white as snow. “This…this isn’t good.”  
Sportacus looked him in the eyes, his breathing alternating between deep gasps and shallow breaths. “S-Something in…in bullet…” he said in a barely audible tone. “I…I…I can’t…” he started, before nearly passing out.

Robbie threw Sportacus’s arm over his shoulder, supporting his weight as he moved further into the alleyways. He could hear the agents drawing closer; they didn’t have much time.  
“We need to get you somewhere secure. Somewhere they can’t get to us and I can help you. But where…” Robbie’s eyes were drawn to the sky. The airship! Of course! “Sportacus! Sportacus, please! Wake up! I need you to get us up to your airship!” he said, slapping his face and shaking him slightly.  
Sportacus barely responded, answering only in garbled mumbles and pained cries. Tears were brimming in Robbie’s eyes as he heard the agents draw closer.  
“Please Sportacus! You have to do this! I’m begging you! Please, you can do this!” Robbie begged.  
Sportacus, eyes only half open, saw the agents charging around the corner. With the last of his strength, he gritted his teeth, and he yelled out “Ladder!”  
And instantly a ladder dropped from the airship. As soon as he saw the ladder lower, Sportacus passed out. Hoisting Sportacus onto his shoulder, Robbie grabbed onto the rung of the ladder, clawing his way up as fast as he could. The agents fired from below, firing blindly up into the night sky. Robbie pulled Sportacus as close as he could. A few bullets whizzed right by his ears, leaving a ringing sound in his hearing.  
“Isn’t there a faster way up?!” he cried. He still had another half-length of ladder to climb. As he climbed, one bullet grazed near his hand, hitting the ladder’s rung instead. Robbie screamed, as he lost his grip on the rung. As he fell, he quickly and frantically grabbed at another rung, leaving them both swinging wildly but still safely on the ladder. Robbie cringed in pain; he’s fairly certain he pulled out his shoulder from that stunt.

Robbie knew he couldn’t climb up fast enough. He’d either tire and end up letting go, allowing both him and Sportacus to plummet to the ground below, or he’d be shot off the ladder. He looked up towards the airship.  
“Please! Get us out of here! Sportacus is in serious trouble! Help us!” he shouted at the airship.  
And, by some sort of miracle, the ship responded. The ladder was quickly rolled up, pulling Robbie and Sportacus up into the sky, out of the line of fire. A platform below the ship lowered, and as Robbie and Sportacus approached the bottom of the ship, Robbie tossed Sportacus onto the platform. With him safe, Robbie leapt from the ladder to the platform, which then raised the two of them up into the safety of the automated airship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get to see Robbie's decision! This was a fun, if not intense chapter to write. Not as intense as the next chapter, but I can't say too much about that now can I? I hope you're all enjoying the story thus far. Thank you so much for reading, and expect the next chapter sometime tomorrow morning!


	9. Salt In The Wound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brief warning on this chapter: It gets pretty intense for a while so I'm not sure if I'd rate this chapter alone as Mature. Trigger warning for some medical-related intensity and mild gore. I tried not to get too graphic, but I thought I'd just give a heads-up to anyone who might be made uncomfortable by some of the descriptions. Hope you all enjoy this chapter regardless!

As soon as Robbie and Sportacus had been safely lifted into the ship, Robbie placed Sportacus down on the floor as quickly and softly as he could. He knelt down beside him, frantically checking his condition. Sportacus was still passed out, his breathing shallow and pained. With two fingers against Sportacus’s neck, Robbie moved the elf’s arm to check the bullet wound. He cringed, it had gone deep. Blood stained Sportacus’s nice suit jacket. He checked for a pulse. It was there, but so faint. But he was alive. Robbie looked around desperately, searching for anything that resembled a medical kit or any sort of supplies. The ship’s interior, while aesthetically appealing and sleek, was also not very friendly for unfamiliar users. Robbie found himself jumping as a single wrong step activated something within the ship. Random levers and pulleys would drop from the ceiling or rise from the floor. He had enough.  
“YOU STUPID SHIP, WHY AREN’T YOU HELPING ME?! SPORTACUS IS DYING, I NEED HELP!” Robbie screamed, tears pouring down his face.

Instantly the ship seemed to come alive. Bright, white lights turned on, illuminating the whole ship and nearly blinding Robbie. Part of the wall spun around to reveal a bed. Another part of the wall separated to reveal multiple monitors and screens. Robbie silently gave his thanks. He threw the duvet off the bed, then ran and grabbed Sportacus. He laid him down on the bare bed, Sportacus only responding with a pained groan. Robbie was trying to keep calm, but found himself panicking again when he saw Sportacus’s body convulse and his breathing become more strained. A drawer emerged from the wall, revealing a litany of medical supplies from smiley face band aids to scalpels.  Robbie dug through the collection, pulling a pair of forceps and other surgical supplies. He put on some latex gloves before approaching Sportacus. He was forced to rip off his nice dress clothes, leaving the tattered and bloody pieces on the ground.  He leaned down towards the wound, using a flashlight to get a better look at it. The bullet was in deep.  
“ _Easy Robbie, you can do this. You’ve seen mom do this before, you can do this too._ ” He thought to himself. Robbie wasn't a certified surgeon, heck he'd never even been to medical school. But in this moment, it didn't matter. He grabbed out the forceps and prepared to remove the bullet himself. Minutes passed, tense minutes. Sweat beaded on his forehead as the forceps clamped onto the bottom of the bullet shell, and he slowly lifted the metallic remains from the wound. He felt relieved and, after dabbing away some of the extra blood, he examined the bullet on the tray. It was dark gray, with a rough texture. Rather unusual for any modern bullet. It was also oozing a strange, sickly green liquid.  
“W-What is this?” He said quietly, poking at the liquid.  
“Analysis station ready.” The ship’s AI announced.

Robbie jumped, but quickly collected himself. He carefully placed the bullet on the scanner, the machine whirring to life.  
“Analyzing…” it stated.  
Robbie looked back at Sportacus, frowning. “How’s Sportacus doing?” Robbie asked.  
“Heart rate falling below 30 bpm, pulse readings failing. System has gone into shock. We’re losing Sportacus.” The AI announced.  
Robbie cursed. He looked at the analysis screen, then back to Sportacus. He ran back to him. He smoothed Sportacus’s hair, soaking wet with sweat and tears, and held his hand. “Come on Sportacus, you need to hold on. I-I can’t lose you. Please…” he begged.  
The computer dinged. “Analysis complete.” It announced.  
Robbie turned back to the computer. “Well what is it??” he frantically asked. A selection of graphs, analysis notes, and pictoral examples filled the screen.  
“Material composition of bullet has been identified. Samples have matched with known element: iron.”  
“Iron?” he pondered. His eyes widened. Iron, an element that magical creatures, including elves, are mortally wounded by, as recorded in folklore. The League of Villains had been spying on Robbie and Sportacus since day one. They knew that Sportacus was an elf; they knew to use iron. But iron on it's own wasn't deadly, right? There must be something else.  
“Composition of toxin reports have come back inconclusive.” The computer reported next.  
Robbie nearly flew into a rage. “Inconclusive?!” he stated angrily.  
“Toxin matches no known poisons in data bank. Producing model of chemical structure.”  
Robbie paced around angrily. He knew that the effects of iron could be nullified, though that itself could be tricky and he wasn’t clear on the specifics, but without knowing the name of the poison he couldn’t do anything to help Sportacus.

He took a wet rag and patted at the bullet wound, cleaning up the blood drying around it. His mind was racing with potential antidotes, but with Sportacus not being a human he wondered how much his knowledge of poisons would help him.  
“Chemical model production complete.” Robbie’s head turned towards the computer, looking at the picture on the screen. Something about this structure was so familiar. Suddenly, he was hit with a rush of memories:

“ _Now this, son, is truly one of my greatest accomplishments. Look closely, this is a toxin unlike any other on the planet. Do you know what makes it special? Up to this point, every poison, every deadly substance on the planet, could kill all but one group of beings. Can you guess which ones? Yes, the sports elves. Nothing I could throw at them, absolutely nothing would truly kill one. Sure, it’d leave them ill for a day or two, but they’d always spring back. But this, my son, will kill even the mightiest sports elf. I threw a sample at one a few days ago. You should’ve seen the look in his eyes as he felt his organs collapse, and his whole body slowly fail upon him! Yes, it was amazing to finally humble one of those things. And to think your mother tried to stop me. She actually killed one of my early attempts. Spilled lemonade of all things on it. But I didn’t let that halt my progress; I was able to synthesize another batch right away. And she got an earful. But that’s what happens when you try and stop the next step in human revolution son. We still prevail._ ”

“Lemonade…” Robbie said thoughtfully. His mind paced around, trying to figure out what could potentially have nullified the toxin. It finally hit him, like a bus. “Acid! Citric acid! Of course, I need citrus!” he cried out in enlightenment.  
He rushed over to Sportacus’s food shelf, pounding desparately at the wall. “Come on you stupid thing! Open up!” A misplaced step of his foot on a button granted him his wish. He dug out an armful of oranges from the dispenser and carried them to the unconscious elf. With a scalpel, he carved open one of the oranges, and squeezed the sweet juice onto the bullet wound. Sportacus’s body seized up at the stinging sensation of the acidic liquid against the open wound.  
Sportacus screamed and the heartrate monitor went insane.  
Robbie tried to restrain him and calm him down. “I’m sorry! Please hold on! I need to do this!” After a minute or two, Sportacus’s body settled down and all Robbie could hear was the irratic beeping of the heartrate monitor and the weak moans from Sportacus. He shook his head. “It’s not enough.” He muttered to himself. Suddenly he had an idea.

He cut a slice from the orange and approached Sportacus.  
“Sporty, I need you to cooperate with me. See? I’ve got a delicious orange slice. One of your favorites! I just need you to eat it, okay? Just one little slice.” He coaxed, tears still brimming in his eyes. Sportacus’s eyes barely opened. Robbie felt the pit in his stomach grow larger as he saw the sickly look in the elf’s eyes, their usual bright blueness dulled by pain and left barely recognizable. He moaned and shook his head slowly, turning away from the fruit. Robbie could feel his heart drop, and became more insistent.  
“Please, Sportacus! It’s for your own good!” Sportacus didn’t respond.  
Robbie let out a frustrated groan and finally decided to be pushier. He turned Sportacus’s head towards him, prying his mouth open as much as he could. With the orange slice in hand, he squeezed the fruit juice into the hero’s mouth. Once he’d squeezed the slice dry, he ran a finger down Sportacus’s throat, coaxing him to swallow. It worked; Sportacus swallowed the orange juice and gasped in response. The heartrate monitor’s reading jumped for a minute, returning for just a brief second to a steady pace, before returning to an erratic pattern. Robbie’s hopes were lifted. He took another orange slice and squeezed the juice into Sportacus’s mouth. The monitor once again stabilized, this time a bit longer. Robbie quickly gave a single chuckle, with a shade of relief. “It’s working.” He said breathlessly. He speedily tore off more slices of the orange.

After getting through the whole orange, Robbie stopped to check Sportacus’s pulse. It was still weak, but at least was more steady than it had been earlier. His skin was still horribly flushed, but at least his breathing had remained calm. Robbie checked the heartrate monitor. It seemed to stay consistently around 65-70 bpm. “He’s sleeping.” Robbie concluded. He wiped more sweat off his brow as he grabbed some antiseptic wipes and a syringe of numbing solution. He quickly stitched up the entry wound, dabbing away the blood and bandaging up the mess. He took a deep breath, cringing at the sudden, throbbing pain. He looked down at his leg. In his rush to save Sportacus, he had neglected his own injury. He grabbed a roll of gauze, another pair of forceps, some medical thread, and more antiseptic. He braced himself for the undoubtedly painful few minutes to come.

Once that ordeal was over, Robbie leaned against the wall, wiping the sweat from his brow. He looked to see the horrible mess he left all over the airship; oranges spilled across the floor, blood stained medical equipment stacked in little piles near the bed, the leftovers of Sportacus’s suit littering the ground. He made short work cleaning it up. His eyes then turned to Sportacus. He was still soundly asleep. Robbie sadly smiled. He took a warm, wet rag, and went to cleaning up the dried blood on Sportacus’s skin. His skin was already starting to return to its normal color. Robbie smoothed away the hair stuck to Sportacus’s forehead. His smile faded, however, once he fully processed what happened. The possibility that this would be his last night with the elf, on pleasant terms that is. Sportacus had every right to hate him, especially after what he’d done. He had betrayed his trust, and put the whole town in danger.

He grabbed the duvet in the corner, and gently draped it over the sleeping Sportacus. Robbie then slowly limped to the front of the ship, sitting on the little edge that divided the main floor from the control panel. His mind was still racing at one-hundred miles an hour, worried about what would come next. Robbie tried to distract himself by watching the night sky, keeping an ear out for any sounds Sportacus made as he slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Apologies for any medical inaccuracies; as you might guess, I have no medical knowledge or experience so I went off a lot of guess work and Google searches. If anyone knows about this stuff more than I do, please leave me a comment with the correct information! Thank you all for reading! We're getting close to the end!


	10. Unless Acted Upon By An Equal and Opposite Force

Sportacus awoke to the faint sound of the heart monitor. He blinked multiple times to refocus his eyes, clearing the blurry shapes and smudges in his vision. His eyelids felt so heavy. He was so sure he had slept for longer than usual, yet he felt like he hadn’t slept in days. He tried to adjust his resting position, but his limbs felt so heavy. It had been years since he actually felt sore, but he was pretty sure the sensation in his body was similar to that. It wasn’t just his body that was slow though, his mind was so foggy it was like pea soup. Thoughts didn’t seem to connect; they’d just collide for a second then go on their own merry ways.   
He groaned and rubbed his eyes. His throat felt dry, his tongue like sandpaper. As he became more conscious, he noticed how grubby he felt. A shower was definitely on the top of his plans for the day. With a little concentrated effort, Sportacus attempted to sit up, only to cringe and gasp in pain. He pulled back the duvet, and felt the blood rush out from his face. His side was completely obscured by gauze and bandages, the gauze soaked in dried blood. His hand shook as it cautiously touched the wrappings. He hissed, and his hand drew back reflexively from how tender the wound still felt. He dug through his mind feverishly, trying to remember what could’ve possibly happened in the past few hours, no past few _days_ , that could’ve resulted in such an injury. Nothing. His mind had become like a corn maze, and the thoughts were the hapless wanderers within it.

Supporting himself with his arm, Sportacus leaned himself up to look around his airship, trying hard to not upset his injury again. He saw a few discarded orange peels right next to a large mound of untouched oranges. He noticed the medical computers up and running, with numerous freshly washed surgical tools sitting out to dry. The bloody scraps of a suit jacket had caught his eye as well. But mostly what drew his attention was Robbie, sitting towards the window. Surrounding him were multiple crumpled pieces of paper, all different colors. Origami paper.   
“R-Robbie…” Sportacus said, his voice barely audible and raspy. Sportacus himself was taken aback by how weak he sounded.   
Robbie turned quickly to face Sportacus, his face one of worry mixed with relief. “You’re awake!” he said happily. His smile faded though. “How do you feel?” he asked.   
Sportacus groaned as he tried to get up. “I-I feel terrible…” he said.   
Robbie rushed towards the bed. “No, no don’t get up. You need to rest.” Robbie tried to usher Sportacus back into the bed, but Sportacus grabbed his arm. He yelped at the suddenness of his actions.   
“Robbie…what happened? Where did this come from?” he asked sternly, gesturing to his bandages.   
Robbie’s eyebrows raised in shock. “Y-You don’t remember how that happened?” he asked nervously.   
Sportacus shook his head. “No, I can’t remember anything about it.” He said frustratedly.   
Using Robbie as a support, Sportacus attempted to get himself on his feet. He succeeded, but after taking only a few steps forward unassisted, he felt his knees collapse underneath him. He fell forward onto his hands, Robbie rushing down to catch him. Catching his breath, he looked up in confusion at Robbie.   
“And what’s wrong with me? Why can’t I move like usual?” he asked, his voice sounding panicked.   
Robbie’s expression fell. He leaned down and helped Sportacus up, getting him to the wall so he could support himself. “What you’re experiencing…well, I’m not exactly sure, but I believe it’s the after effects of poisoning.”   
Sportacus cringed as he attempted to walk more towards the ship’s controls. “But this can’t be that! This is so much worse. I’ve seen the effects of poisoning before, it never got this bad.”

Robbie shrunk back, his gaze switching to the floor. “That’s because you’ve never seen the effects of Glaepur’s Venom.”   
Sportacus stopped. “Glaepur’s Venom?” he asked.   
Robbie nodded, ashamed. “It’s something my dad concocted. See, he had this thing about being able to poison people. He loved the control it gave him over others. You could imagine then, when he realized that normal poisons don’t really affect elves, he wasn’t too happy. So, he made Glaepur’s Venom. Chemical formula: C31H32N4O4. The only poison in the world that can kill an elf.” He said, his voice growing more quiet as he continued.   
Sportacus looked at Robbie in disbelief. “Robbie...”   
“I didn’t poison you, okay?! I never wanted any of this to happen.” Robbie blurted, his face twisted with anger.   
Sportacus sighed. “I wasn’t going to suggest that.”   
Robbie winced. He walked away, towards the closet and his little pile of crumpled paper.   
“Robbie.” Said Sportacus. Robbie didn’t answer. Sportacus, holding onto the wall for dear life, inched his way across the room, to his equipment closet. He pressed the button, and pulled out a ski pole. Using it as a sort of crutch, he made his way over to Robbie. “Robbie, please. I just want to know exactly what happened.” He said.   
  
When Robbie finally turned to face him, he saw his eyes glistening with tears, his mouth still turned in an angry expression. “You want to know what happened?? I’ll tell you what happened, I’ve ruined everything. Everything I’ve done, every stupid choice I made over the last few months, it’s what’s gotten everyone into this mess. It’s what’s put the kids’ lives in danger. It’s what got you almost killed. It’s all my fault Sportacus, **it’s all my fault**.” He angrily shouted, his voice cracking at the last sentence.   
Sportacus looked at Robbie, his face filled with sadness. “Just tell me what happened Robbie.” He asked quietly. The anger in Robbie’s face vanished, replaced instead by shame.   
He shook his head and buried it in his hands. “It’s all a mess…”

And over several minutes, Robbie recounted the events from many months ago. He explained who the League of Villains were, what role they had played in Robbie’s large-scale scheme.   
“I was so driven, my only goal in originally befriending you and the kids was to get rid of you, make LazyTown lazy again, and regain my status as a world-class villain. But as I spent time with you and the kids, I realized how much I needed people like you all. People I could trust, share fun times with. Friends. I realized I also needed someone like you, that I truly liked you. I didn’t want you to leave, because you give me so much joy. You give me a reason to wake up in the morning. You make me feel like…like I’m more than just a villain.” Robbie shook his head. “The league was infuriated as soon as they realized I was stalling in ridding the town of you. That I liked you. They gave me an ultimatum: I could either kill you myself, or they’d send their agents to kill you instead.” 

“And you choose to kill me yourself.” Sportacus stated, his voice not really suggesting disapproval or assurance.   
Robbie made himself smaller, drawing his legs more into his chest, flinching at the pain of his leg wound. “I don’t know, Sportacus! I wasn’t exactly given a lot of options you know!” Robbie quickly perceived how poor his answer was, as he saw Sportacus’s focus shift away. He sat down slowly, his attention directed towards the floor. Robbie bit his lip. This was going just as badly as he thought it would. “Sportacus…” he started. Sportacus didn’t look up. Robbie tried to approach him again, tried to apologize once more. But he stopped, and instead shrunk back.

“I understand what you’re feeling right now Sportacus.” Robbie said quietly.   
Sportacus didn’t respond.   
“What I’ve done, it’s unforgiveable. I haven’t just hurt you, I’ve hurt the whole town. And no number of apologies could make up for that.”   
Sportacus still didn’t acknowledge what Robbie said.   
Robbie sighed. “I should’ve, from the beginning, not just of this whole mess but really as soon as I was on my own…I should’ve stood up for what I believed was right. Being a villain, it never really sat right with me. Sure, there were fun elements, but it’s not what I thought of myself as. I didn’t think of myself as a bad guy. But it’s what everyone wanted me to be. And in the end, I caved. I caved to my dad, I caved to the League. I should’ve fought for what I truly wanted to be.”   
“And what’s that?” Sportacus suddenly asked.   
Robbie froze for a minute, but regathered his thoughts. He shook his head. “I-I still don’t know. But I know I don’t want to hurt anyone. Not anymore, and truthfully, not ever.” He sighed, feeling his body grow heavy from the weight of the situation. “It doesn’t matter now though, it’s all too late. I just wish I had another chance, one more try at being what I want to be. A friend to my friends; a better person.”

Sportacus lifted his head. “You truly wish that? That you’d get another chance to be something other than a villain?”   
Robbie looked at him with a saddened expression. “More than anything.” He confessed softly.   
Sportacus gave a slight nod. With some audible effort, Sportacus got himself up on his feet. He staggered his way over to the eastern wall, pulling open a panel that revealed a newly-installed set of buttons. He gave one of them a push, and Robbie could hear movement above him. He turned his head to look and gawked at what he saw. Hundreds of paper cranes, all strung up to the ceiling. Most were clustered together in a near flock, others dangled on lone strings away from the others. In the middle of this arrangement was the origami airship he had given Sportacus.The colorful display dazzled Robbie. His surprise faded, however, with realization.   
“Are those…my cranes?” he asked.   
Sportacus nodded. “If my count is correct, there’s 999 of them up there. It’s just missing one.”   
Robbie slowly revealed the crane he was working on, one made of pale blue paper. “One thousand cranes.” He said breathlessly.   
“I may not believe much in the idea of wishes, but I hope this gives you the picture.” Sportacus stated.   
Robbie’s face lightened up. He nearly leapt to his feet. “Wait, are you saying…” he began, before being stopped by Sportacus.   
“This doesn’t mean that you’re instantly forgiven. You’ll still need to work with everyone else in LazyTown to regain their trust, if they’re willing to work with you. And I can’t speak for how willing they’ll be.”   
Robbie’s expression drooped.   
“But, what this does mean is that I want to help you. I want to be with you through your journey of remaking your life. All of this means I forgive you. That I still really like you.” Sportacus said, the faintest bit of his smile returning. Joy filled Robbie’s heart, but was quickly extinguished by confusion and fear.   
“But…but why? Why would you forgive me so easily? I tried to take your life! Isn’t that unforgiveable?” he asked perplexedly.

Sportacus gave him a tired, but still warm smile. “My memory of last night is still pretty spotty, but there’s something that I remember for the most part. You may have come with the intent to kill me, but there’s one important fact: you didn’t. You couldn’t do it, and I believe I knew that too. You are a good person Robbie, that’s very apparent. You stopped yourself of your own volition, because you knew that you didn’t want to go through with it.” Sportacus gently took ahold of Robbie’s hand. “I know this will be tough. I did feel betrayed in that moment. And honestly, I still do feel hurt. But I want to work through this with you. Because I know that we can do it, because you sincerely want to become something greater and better.”   
Robbie blushed at his kind words and the comforting feeling of his hand being held. There’s was still a biting bit of fear in the back of his mind though. “But how? How do you know we can make this work?” he asked fearfully.

Sportacus gave him a little look, as if it were obvious. He leaned in and gave Robbie a peck on the cheek. Robbie could feel all the butterflies trapped in his stomach fly straight upwards, his face turning a bright shade of red.   
“Sometimes you just know things.” He said in a near whisper.   
Robbie felt the warmest, most fuzzy feelings bubbling within him. He decided to take a chance: he gently ran the back of his fingers against Sportacus’s cheek. Sportacus leaned into his hand in response. Robbie placed one hand behind Sportacus, cupping the back of his neck. The other hand wrapped behind Sportacus’s waist. In return, Sportacus wrapped his arms around Robbie’s shoulders. The two leaned in close, eyes closing, as their lips connected. In that moment, the world melted away. Robbie could feel every ounce of explosive emotion, the unusually comforting sensation, yet at the same time the need to pull the elf in close and kiss deeper. But that was for another time. For now, all he wanted was for this exact moment to last forever.

When their lips finally parted, Robbie had to quickly step back to support Sportacus, his legs giving out again. He gently lowered the two of them to the ground. Robbie was smiling happily, holding Sportacus in his arms.   
“Did you like that?” he asked.   
Sportacus smiled, his face relaxed and calm. “Of course.” He replied, his voice seeming sleepy. Sportacus opened his mouth and yawned loudly.   
One of Robbie’s eyebrows raised. “I’m guessing you’re still feeling drained?” he asked.   
Sportacus nodded tiredly. Robbie put him down for a moment, grabbing the duvet off the bed. He walked back and wrapped Sportacus in the fluffy blanket.   
“Makes sense. Your body’s been through a lot in the last few hours. You need all the rest you can get.” He said gently.

Sportacus didn’t seem to protest, he just snuggled closer to Robbie. “Sleeping more than I thought.” He mumbled.   
Robbie gave a sort of laugh. “Hey, maybe now you can see the appeal in sleeping in late.” He teased.   
Sportacus wearily laughed, before yawning again and snuggling more into his blanket. He cocked one eye partially open. “Aren’t you tired too?” he asked.   
Robbie shrugged. “I’ll be fine.” He lied.   
Sportacus lifted one end of the duvet. “Come in here.” He said in a sweet tone.   
Robbie rolled his eyes jokingly. “Oh, all right.” He relented.   
He crawled under the duvet, the two cuddling close to one another. Not even a minute later they were both passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah good to see things turn out alright in the end! I hope you all are enjoying this story, there's only one chapter left! Thank you so much for reading!


	11. Epilogue

The warm glow of the sun woke Robbie up. He yawned, forgetting for a moment where he was. It was only when he looked around and saw the pristine, white interior of the airship and the warmth of the elf cuddling him that he remembered where he was and what had happened. He laid there for a bit, staring at the ceiling. The paper cranes swayed gently with the movement of the ship. He looked down at the sleeping Sportacus, cuddled up in a fetal position, snoozing so peacefully. He smiled, and tenderly stroked his hair. He laid a kiss on his forehead before he got up.

He sat on the edge of the ship’s main floor, every so often looking back to Sportacus. He blinked as he looked at the horizon. What time was it? He looked back at the clock on the wall. 3:00 pm. They’d slept through most of the day. He rubbed his eyes, stretching his arms. Oh well, this was typical for him. Besides, they’d had a long night. They both needed the rest. Robbie got up, walking over to Sportacus's pantry. He dug around Sportacus’s food stash, looking for some form of hot beverage. He found nothing but water. The elf was so health conscious, he didn’t even have any sort of tea or cocoa. He mustn't get guests too often.

His eyes were caught by the sight of Sportacus’s crystal. He picked it up the little metal container that held it, examining it.  
“ _Has it not gone off today?_ ” he asked himself. Considering how accident prone the town’s residents were, he’d usually consider it a miracle.  
But with what happened last night, and the high probability that L.O.V.’s agents were still in town, the lack of beeping and alarms sounding were a bit troubling. He held the crystal in his hands as he returned to sitting near Sportacus. He stared out through the window at the town below. Little black dots on the outskirts of town caught his attention. The League’s vans had the perimeter surrounded.

He was drawn out of his trance by the sounds of Sportacus stirring awake. Sportacus yawned, half-opening his eyes and looking at Robbie.  
“Morning.” He said with a smile.  
Robbie chuckled. “Afternoon.”  
Sportacus’s eyes widened. “It’s afternoon already?”  
“Well we did go to sleep at, what, four or five in the morning?” said Robbie.

Sportacus propped himself up into a sitting position, cringing at the pain still emanating from his wound. He scooched over towards Robbie and rested his head against his shoulder. Robbie leaned over and gave a tiny peck to Sportacus’s ears. They wiggled wildly and left Sportacus a giggly mess.  
Robbie’s quirked an eyebrow up. “Are they that sensitive?” he asked.

Sportacus nodded wildly, his cheeks flushed a bright red, giggles pouring out of him. “V-Very!” he finally managed to say, his mouth turned into a big grin. Once he calmed himself enough, he sat up and saw his sports crystal in Robbie’s hands. His smile faded. “Has it been blinking a lot while I slept?” he asked worriedly.  
Robbie shook his head. “Not once, from what I could tell. At least not enough to wake me up.”  
Sportacus slowly took the device from Robbie. He sighed as he turned it around, examining it. “That is odd, and definitely not reassuring.” He admitted.  
Robbie could see how concerned Sportacus looked. He wrapped an arm around the hero, Sportacus leaning back into Robbie. Robbie, in return, gently stroked his arm and nuzzled his head.

The two just sat there, looking out the window. Robbie looked down at Sportacus. He could see his hands anxiously playing with the sports crystal device, his eyes fixed in front of him towards the sky. Robbie gently ran the back of his fingers against the side of Sportacus’s face, turning his attention towards him. Robbie gave him a small smile. “Things will be okay.” He said calmly.  
“But what does this mean? What are we up against? What will happen to LazyTown? What will happen to us?” Sportacus asked uneasily.  
Robbie looked sadly at Sportacus, sighing tiredly. “I don’t know.” He finally said. He caressed Sportacus’ cheek, looking deep into the elf’s bright blue eyes. He finally mustered a warm smile. “But things will be okay.”  
Sportacus sighed and shivered slightly. Robbie pulled the duvet over him again. “I only hope you’re right.” He said quietly.  
Robbie nodded. “I hope so too.”

Robbie leaned in close and planted a kiss on Sportacus’s lips. The two cuddled close, holding the kiss steady. When their lips finally parted, they sat together, watching the clouds float by, wondering what would be coming next.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus concludes this story...for now at least. I want to thank everyone who took the time to leave a comment/kudos and for everyone who read this story. I'm so thrilled to see so many people enjoy what I write and I hope you liked the ending!
> 
> As you might've heard, I'm working on a sequel to this fanfic! It should start being posted sometime in the following week. I hope you all enjoy that one as well, as it will bring a conclusion to the L.O.V. part of the story, as well as delve into the effect of L.O.V.'s presence in LazyTown and how Sportacus and Robbie will help drive them out of town.
> 
> Also keep an eye out for an alternate ending to this fic I'll post either today or tomorrow! I wrote it after a regular reader suggested an alternate ending (thank you HappyKonny for the suggestion), and I hope you all enjoy some much more heartwrenching angst cause yeah the other ending's not good haha.
> 
> Thank you once again for sticking around and reading this story! Thanks again to RobbieRottensArt for creating the beautiful fanart that inspired this story and thank you to you all for joining me on this adventure!
> 
> See you all in the next one!
> 
> -SportsCandyCollective


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